Iridescence
by KalisDraconis
Summary: Ever since the blight, Hawke has felt cursed. Everyone she has ever loved has died, most recent of which was her mother at the hands of a blood mage. So when the unthinkable happens, can her friends work together long enough to save her? Or will she end up losing more than she has ever lost before in order to regain herself? M violence, Ch Death, Rape, & Adult Themes Plz R&R!
1. The Mistake

Author's Note: This is my first story in a long while. The tags will change as the story progresses. DA 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.

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Compassionate and kind. Lethal and deadly. Everything he liked in a woman. With her grace and beauty, she would make even the most the richest noble woman jealous and make the men gape. Yet in a moment, she could turn deadly. Dancing her way across a battlefield, bending and jumping, dodging blows and stabs, she was indeed a sight to behold. With her twin daggers, nothing could stop her. And when she smiled, he felt his own heart stop. Even in the heat of battle, her taunts would make him laugh and chuckle as he watched their enemies get infuriated and make mistakes. In the 3 years he had known her, Fenris had discovered a desire he never though himself capable of. Ever since their first chance meeting in the alienage, when she smiled up at him with that coy look, blood still covering some of her face. Never had a woman looked so lovely to him.

Iris.

A name few called her, either out of respect or fear, he wasn't certain. Most just called her Hawke - her family name. A name both graceful and deadly, just like the animal of the same name. But to him, she was simply out of reach. Even living just a few blocks away, she was a noble and he - he is as he always was. A slave.

Living in Denarius' house hadn't changed that. Neither had the battles he had fought or the fact that one of his former masters now lie dead. No, what separated them more than that was his past. A past he couldn't let go of. Nightmares that still held him paralyzed with fear and drenched in sweat every morning he awoke. The pain was also a constant. The lyrium burned even still, whether it was the memory of it or a present pain was unknown. It was just there, reminding him that he was still alive. The only time he could remember where the pain was gone was the one night he stole with his flower, his goddess.

It was only a few weeks ago, after he had killed that bitch Hadriana, that he went to her house. That night he was hurting, both physical and mentally. Shattered at the notion that he may have a sister and that she was alive. Needing comfort, he ignored his own warnings and went to her. And for some reason still unknown to him, she welcomed him. And over the next few hours, he had never felt more at peace.

The feel of her skin against his, her breath on his skin. Normally he hated when others touched him. It reminded him of his past, when groping hands and sharp bites were unwelcome and forced upon him.

_"Please me, dog, and maybe I'll give you some food tonight"_

The memory still made his stomach churn and his skin crawl.

But not with her. Her touch didn't hurt him, yet it still burned. However, the sensation was different than before, different than the constant pain of the lyrium. Her warmth spread through her hands and all the way to his frozen heart. Her nails were light across his skin, not hard and demanding.

Why had she not sent him away? He gave her the choice, and yet she chose to lay with him. Him, a slave, had no right to touch her beauty, yet he could not resist. He just wanted one moment, one precious time where he could feel something other than the contempt and hatred that filled his heart. To feel something other than the pain in his skin.

With her, he found his solace. His nirvana. For the few precious hours, he was a man and she his woman. It was the closest thing to bliss that he ever dreamed possible. Maker help him, he needed something for himself that one time.

Yet it was not to be. The nightmares would not let him be, only this time it was worse. He awoke breathless, fleeting memories of his life before quickly disapearing from his mind. For a brief moment, he remembered who he was and what his life was before he was branded with lyrium. Yet as every second passed, the memories faded into mist no matter how hard he tried to claim them.

Dear Maker, he almost had it!

Then, as he lay there, the pain of his branding came back to me in one fluid and vibrant memory. Fenris sharply inhaled as he felt his body turn to fire and he swore his blood boiled under his skin. He struggled to remain still lest he awake the beauty beside him. For what seemed like an eternity, he felt every nerve he had come alive and burn white fire.

Panting heavily through the pain, fragments of images sped through his mind. Nothing to hold on to, and as quickly as the pain and images came, they left him, sweating and weak. As the pain subsided to it's normal burn and his breathing returned to normal, one thought came to dominate his mind.

What had he done? Laying next to her, their limbs entwined, he knew the truth. He had shamed her in his selfishness. The things he had done - the things he had been **forced** to do - he had no right to be with such a woman. Such an absolute goddess.

As she slept peacefully in his arms, Fenris took one last longing look at her perfect beauty before slowly extracting himself from her hold. A small moan escaped her lips when he freed himself, her rolling over to where he had been, almost in search of his missing body. With a heavy sigh, he rose and dressed himself.

As he was lacing the last buckle on his bracers, he noticed a red ribbon off to side of her mirror. Touching it softly, he brought to his lips and inhaled her sweet scent. After looking at her on the bed, he wrapped the ribbon around his wrist as a symbol of this night. He knew this was arrogance, to take something from someone so far beyond him. But he couldn't resist. He needed something of hers. Something to prove to himself that this wasn't a dream, and for a few brief moments, he was happy.

Just as he was about to leave, he looked back and saw her rise from the bed where they spent the day making love. The sadness in her eyes tore at him, but he knew this had to be the way of things. He was a slave, wanted by the Imperium for the lyrium he carried. And she was...

She was everything he ever wanted but could never have.

"That bad was it?" Hawke asked, hoping a bit of humor would lighten his mood. Looking back at her, with the firelight dancing across her skin, it was a hard not to go to her.

"No, it was fine -"

_Fine? Oh Maker, how do you describe the indescribable?_

The look on her face almost brought him to his knees. What was it about her that flustered him so?

"I'm sorry, no, that is insufficient. It was better than anything I could of dreamed". Better than he could of hoped or even dared to want. But how to explain that to her? How to explain the pain of his past and how it still haunted him?

Fenris tried to speak to her of his dreams, of his flashing memories, yet the words were not there. Maker forgive him, he felt lost and confused.

Since the moment he escaped, he had a goal in his mind. He knew what his future held - kill or be killed. He would never return to being a slave, and he knew Denarius would never give up so long as either of them lived.

Now, being with Hawke, strange tender feelings started to emerge in him. Feelings he had no knowledge of, let alone how to deal with them. For so many years, he thrived on hatred and pain. Now? For the first time since he lost his memory, he felt afraid.

"This is too fast, I cannot do this." He uttered softly. Turning, he fixed his gaze upon the fire, unable to look upon her beauty, upon her perfection lying naked in that bed. Steeling his resolve, he knew what he had to do.

"Forgive me." Fenris replied to her pleads of caring for him. Unwilling to look back lest his will falter, he walked out of her room.


	2. A Slave and a Goddess

Author's Note: Author's Note: This is my first story in a long while. The tags will change as the story progresses. DA 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.

This takes place just after "All that remains" when Fenris comes to try and console Hawke about her mother. Warning: This is where things go non-canon and where my own story comes forward. This is also a fairly long chapter and pure fluff... Don't worry, I am warming up to the juicer bits! lol

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Hawke sat alone on her bed, her head in her hands as she remembered the moment her mother died. Her heart heavy with regret and guilt, she was relieved to finally be alone. It was only a few hours ago that she held her mother as she died. The memory of her disgraced body and absent eyes still seared her soul, and make her nausea at the event come back.

Did she cause this? If only she had been more attentive to her mother instead of off everyday doing jobs for the city or favors for people she came across. Maybe if she spent more time with her, this would never of happened. Maker knows Gemlen had already accused her of such.

At this moment, she truly felt cursed. First her father died, then Carver at the hands of that ogre. Bethany had also died due to the taint from the Deep Roads. Now, she was alone. It seemed as if everyone she cared for was doomed to die in horrible means. Her chest heavy with regret and sorrow, her well built resolve and steely nature crumbled under the weight of the past few years.

With her face in her hands, she finally let the tears flow. When she was with her companions, she needed to be strong. She used humor to hide her feelings, and took her anger out on her enemies. She couldn't let weakness show, not when her actions were being scrutinized by every political and powerful person in Kirkwall and beyond. From what she heard, all of Ferelden was holding it's breath while her actions were being judged by powers both foreign and domestic.

The Viscount, the Knight-Commander, the First Enchanter, the Arishok, even the King of all Ferelden were watching her and her actions. Most times she refused to spend too much time thinking about it, lest it prove to be too much at the wrong moment and cause her to falter. However, now everything seemed to come crashing at her and blinding speeds. All her failures, all her faults, all the ways she could of done better.

Hawke let it all out, heaving violently as each sob racked her body. Alone in her room, she finally felt free enough to let her true emotions show. Not even after Fenris left her did she let her emotions get the better of her. She was crushed, desolate, yet she still had the responsibility of leading her companions, and Fenris was a much needed member of that group.

So, she smiled and pretended that nothing happened, even though inside her heart was breaking. Isabella was no help, with her constant bantering with the others and her sexual teasing with the other people in the group. Even Fenris was not immune to her teasing, just yesterday she overheard Isabella asking what colour his small clothes were...

Perhaps she was only a warm body that was needed for refuge after a traumatic experience. She certainly felt like it after he left her that night. Even though he corrected himself, she still felt the barbs that struck her at his feelings over the love-making as "fine".

Hawke sighed heavily as she thought she truly was cursed. Perhaps it was better that Fenris left when he did incase something far worse happened to him because of her feelings for him. She didn't want this curse to harm him as it had the rest of her family.

Just then, she heard a soft knock on her door. She wiped her hand across her face, trying in futility to banished the tears that streaked her face, and took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice.

"I'm not in the mood, Bodahn. Whatever it is, it can wait 'till the morning." Hawke replied without even opening the door. She didn't want to see anyone, nor deal with any problems that popped up. Maker help her, she just wanted a single night to herself to grieve for her mother and everything else she had lost since the blight changed her life.

Again, the knocking came, this time a little louder than the last time. Still, no voice accompanied it, so trying in vain to wipe away the signs of her moment of weakness, she sighed and got up to open the door.

"Look, I am not feeling-" Hawke stopped mid-sentence as she saw not Bodahn at her door, but Fenris. Shocked and instantly embarrassed for her disheveled look and obvious crying, she quickly turned around and walked further into her room.

"Wha-What are you doing here?" She asked as she avoided looking directly at the man who could reduce her even further into misery by just his mere presence and cold demeanor after the night they shared.

"I...I uh-" Fenris lost all memory of what he had rehearsed many times over in his mansion before coming over here. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was, not just for her mother's death, but for what happened between them.

These past few weeks have left him confused and feeling even more alone than normal. The long hours he spent every evening when he was not around her were spent drinking heavily as he ridiculed himself over and over again for his cowardice. The dreams still had not relented, yet now mixed in with nightmares of his life as a slave, he also dreamt of the woman in front of him. Of him hurting her, or her expressing her disgust at him for daring to be near her, let alone touch her as he did.

And now, looking at her from across the room, he felt as if his heart lay shattered before him. Her violet-red hair a mess, her make-up smudged down her cheeks, her eyes puffy and red from the tears she obviously shed. For the longest time he thought Hawke was incapable of crying, as even though she was injured many times throughout their various battles, she never complained and always sought to comfort and tend to the others before herself. It was one of the things he admired most about her; She exuded more strength and determination than he had ever seen, even in the most stoutest of warriors.

Yet now, with her arms wrapped around herself as if she were trying desperately to hold herself together, his heart seemed to break all over again at his inability to keep this tragedy from happening to her.

"I came to see if there was anything I could do..." Fenris finally managed to say as he took a couple steps into her room. Even given the severity of the tragedy that happened, as he entered his room his mind still brought forward the memories of the last time he was here in her room. The last time - No, the only time he had ever been truly happy.

Hawke scoffed at his attempt to show kindness when she knew how he really felt. It was not the first time she was used as just a warm body to be used, and she swore she would never be used like that again, only to have it happen once more. And by a man she had come to care about deeply, even after he left her that night. She hated how she still had feelings for him. How he could still make her heart melt when he looked at her, or make her body ache whenever he smiled.

She pretended as he did that nothing had happened. Yet, it was surely obvious to their companions that something did, seeing as their usual flirting and playful banter had all but stopped. She even tried to speak to him only when necessary, and avoided his company as much as possible. It just hurt too much. And for that, she hated herself even more.

"I'm fine, Fenris. There is no reason for you to be concerned. I am sure there are more pressing matters to attend to than checking in on me. Have no fear, I will be back to providing you and the others with contracts and marks to provide you with silvers soon enough."

Hawke's anger at herself and at the world in general seeped through her voice, slicing deeply into Fenris. He watched her move across the room, trying absently to busy herself with various tedious tasks as she spoke. Tidying up her room, straightening books and papers.

"It's not your fault, you know." He heard himself say.

She looked up at him, causing him to nearly crumble at the pain and anger in her eyes. Hawke was momentarily speechless, wondering what exactly he meant by his words.

Did he mean the death of her mother? Of Carver or Bethany? Or did he mean what happened between them?

Fenris took a few more steps closer Hawke, very much aware of the volatile nature she was in at the moment. But still a part of him called out to comfort her, to try whatever he could to ease her pain, yet not knowing how.

Sensing her doubt, he held his hand out to her. "None of it. Not all this death, not the problems of the city, and especially not what happened between us."

Hawke again felt her chest constrict as another sob threatened to overtake her. But no, she would not let it. Not in front of another. Not in front of him. Yet, as she looked at his outstretched hand and the look on his face - pity? concern? she couldn't decide which - she found herself walking into his arms and wrapping her own arms around him.

Silently, her body shook as it tried futilely to hold back her tears. Fenris just held her close, running his hand through her hair and down her back. He had no idea what to say, so he offered the only comfort he knew.

Softly, he hummed a lullaby that he heard from a Dalish clan he spent some time with. Wordless, yet somehow it seemed to slow her body convulsions. He didn't know how long he held her like that, but he didn't care.

Again, the pain of the lyrium eased away, replaced by her warmth. And as he held her, the world seemed to disappear until it was just the two of them. The gentle hum of his voice spread through Hawke's body, just as the warmth from his body did. Lost in each other's presence, her trembling ceased and her breathing slowed.

Lifting her head up, she looked into his eyes. Eyes so green, it did shame to other colours. Eyes she could so easily loose herself into. Eyes that for once didn't glow with the icy hatred and distrust he normally showed to others. No, now the piercing depth of emerald held nothing but compassion, warmth, concern, and... love?

"_No,_" Hawke shook her head as she thought. "_No, he doesn't love me. No one could._"

"Tell me Hawke. Tell me what you are thinking." Fenris whispered as he saw her shake her head, as if clearing her mind of thoughts she didn't want.

Without answering him, Hawke pulled away from him and stepped away, wrapping her arms once again around herself.

"Hawke..."

"Please Fenris, don't tease me." She whispered without looking at him.

"I don't understand..."

Hawke looked up at him, tears once again threatening to break free from her eyes. What was it about him that caused her walls to crumble so easily?

"I am sure there other warm bodies to keep you company. I... I can't go through that again. Not again... Not tonight after - after what happened..." Hawke's voice broke slightly as a single tear slid down her cheek. She went to wipe it away, only to have to wrist caught by Fenris.

"Iris..."

Violently she pulled away from his touch. "No! You cannot just come back here after leaving me and expect me to crawl back to you. Especially not tonight. My mother is dead Fenris! Dead! My heart is damaged enough! I will not survive to have it broken again by you." Shocked at her own outburst, Hawke moved away further, trying to distance herself from him. "Please, just... Just go, Fenris. If you have an urge that you need to sate, look for it elsewhere."

Fenris felt like he had been slapped. No, slapped is not enough. Stabbed through the chest would be more appropriate.

_She thinks she was just a warm body? Just a place to sate an "urge"?_

"By Andraste, no! Please do not think that! It was never like that! Never did I think of you as such!"

Hawke paused at his pleading. She turned back to look at him and saw the shock and horror in his eyes. Did she dare believe it? Did she risk her heart to him once more?

"Than what am I, Fenris? Why did you leave me that night?"

Fenris felt his heart contract. What did he say to her? What could he say? Dear Maker, how did he find himself in this mess?

With a heavy sigh and a deep breath, Fenris resolved to not run away again. He was no coward, and he should never have acted as such.

"It wasn't just the dreams. They were more vivid, more real. Then, for a few moments, I remembered it all. My whole life. But I also relived the pain of it. The pain of the lyrium being put into me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Every part of me felt as if I was on fire. Then it was gone, and it was just as before."

He ran his hand through his hair and walked over to the window. There he stood silent for a moment as he went over the last few weeks in his mind. Patiently, Hawke waited for him continue. She needed to know why he left her. Even if the truth hurt, she still needed to know.

"Then, when it was over, I realized that when we were making love, the pain was gone. I didn't notice it at first. It was only after it returned did I notice it's absence." His arms were crossed now as looked out into the night. "I didn't understand why. I didn't know what it was about you, but it made me afraid."

Fenris looked back at her, a small half-smile on his lips. "All I knew was that when I was with you, I was at peace. But then it was over, and the pain returned worse than before. Laying there afterward, I kept thinking about what would happen to you if anyone knew how close you were to me."

Returning his gaze to the night, he continued to tell her what he had tried to hide from himself over the past few weeks.

"Hadriana may be dead, but there are others out there. Denarius still lives, plus there are other enemies that I have made. People who would still be interested in the lyrium I possess or the secret as to how it was done. I couldn't even face what I felt for you, myself. I still don't know what it is exactly."

"What do you feel? Please, I need to know." Interrupted Hawke.

He sighed as he contemplated the answer to the very question he had been trying to figure out for the last few weeks. Slowly, he turned to her, his hand falling to his sides in defeat. He tried to speak calmly, but bitterness seeped into his voice nonetheless.

"I don't know, Hawke. I don't understand this." Growling softly, he paced the room in front of her. "All my life, I have known only pain. I was slave up until the moment I ran from Denarius, and I suppose in some ways I still am. A slave to my past."

"You don't know what it's like, to be at the mercy of someone else. To be forced against your will to do things distasteful and horrid, just because of the person commanding me was more powerful. Yet for most of my life, I never questioned it. I hated it, but that was my life. Then, for reasons I still don't understand, I ran."

"You're wrong, Fenris. I do know."

Fenris stopped his pacing as he barely heard the soft whisper of confession from her. Suddenly, he was there in front of her, grabbing her arm.

"What do you mean?" He asked harshly. Yet Hawke knew it was more out of concern than true anger.

This time it was Hawke's turn to turn away and wonder off.

"I... I do not wish to speak of it. Not now. Just know that I know all to well what it is like to be nothing but a warm body, and to do things I found distasteful because of someone else's power over me."

"Hawke..." His voice softer now, almost pleading.

"No, Fenris. You will not escape this that easily. Unless you tell me now what you feel for me, I will send you from this house."

Dropping his head, he realized that she was right. However, he resolved to find out what happened to her - and to punish all those who hurt her.

"Hawke... I..." Looking up at her, standing close to her dresser, she looked so ethereal. The moonlight and soft flicker from the few candles in her room danced across her beautiful frame. Tall for women of Kirkwall, her beauty haunted his dreams and his waking hours alike. Deep violent eyes matched by her violet-red hair. Twin braids coming down on either side of her face, the rest of her short hair loose around her shoulders. Even the slight tattoo on the left side of her face had a purple-ish tinge to it.

With her finery on, she looked every bit the goddess he imagined her to be. Richly red lips that begged to be kissed, and soft pale skin that felt like silk under his fingertips. Never had he seen a more beautiful woman, yet it was not just her physical appearance that drew her to him.

Over the last few years, he has seen her show enormous amounts of compassion to those in need, yet seemingly endless fury to those who crossed her. She was a deadly whirlwind in combat, showing no mercy to those who dared to harm the innocent. She had eyes that sparked fire at her enemies, yet melted his iced heart when she looked at him and smiled.

She was his goddess, and the feelings he felt for her were frightening yet comforted him at the same time. He had no real words for what he felt, being so foreign to anything other than pain and hate for most of his life. Yet, he had heard and seen others act foolishly in front of people they cared about. Perhaps this is what he felt.

"Hawke..." Fenris shook his head and started again after a deep breath. "Iris, I... I have no words to express what I feel for you. Nothing seems sufficient, yet the best I can say to you, is... "

Fenris paused, swallowing his fear. He was no coward, yet why did he fear this moment so much?

"Iris, I love you."

Hawke's mouth fell open to hear those few words she yearned for him to say to her, yet never thought he would.

"I know..." He again started his pacing, seeming to become more frustrated. "I know I don't deserve you. I am a slave, hunted by unknown and deadly enemies. I am haunted by forgotten memories and pain so severe it leave me paralyzed. Yet whenever I look at you, whenever I touch you, it all seems to melt away."

Fenris stopped his pacing and dropped to his knees at her feet. He held her hands to his forehead, unsure of how to continue but having an overwhelming need to speak his heart to this woman who touched him so much.

"You are a goddess to me. Intelligent, compassionate, beyond beautiful, you are everything I have ever wanted in a woman. I do not deserve you, and I know I shamed you in my need for comfort when I came to you that night."

"Even given that, that isn't the only reason I ran. When you touched me, the pain went away. When you kissed me, I felt happier than I have ever been. And when we made love, I have never felt more complete. May the Maker forgive me for my arrogance and my stupidity, but I was a coward and ran away when I felt these foreign emotions. And afterward, I convinced myself you were better off without me, that our night together was best left forgotten for the shame I knew I must of brought on you."

"How dare a lowly slave touch a thing so exquisite as you, let alone think he could love such a goddess. Please, forgive me. If it is your will, send me from this house and you will never see me again. I will leave, you will never again be troubled by my presence. But know that I will always look out for you. I will protect you from afar, and I will never let harm come to you again."

Moments passed as Fenris remained at her feet on his knees. Neither spoke, and Fenris held his breath waiting for his banishment that he was sure to come. Hawke stood there motionless at his words. At his confession of not only how he felt for her, but for how he saw himself.

Coming out her stupor, she took Fenris' hands and helped pull him up to stand before her. Looking into his eyes, she was left breathless at the amount of love she finally saw there. Also, the fear that she would send him away. Taking his face in her hands, she leaned forward so that their noses barely touched.

"You stupid, stupid man!" Hawke uttered before she began to kiss him wildly. Fenris couldn't move at first, then as he felt her tongue press against his lips, begging entry, he wrapped his arms around her and returned this kiss with just as much passion and need.

Growling at how good she tasted and felt against him, he could hardly believe she accepted him.

_Dear Maker, whatever had he done to deserve such a gift as the goddess in his arms!_


	3. The Confrontation

Author's Note: Dragon's Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it divates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they divate from those in the game.

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"Hello, Varric!" Anders called happily to the dwarf as he entered the suite that Varric used in the Hanged Man.

"Blondie! You sound like you are in a good mood for a change. What happened, has the Knight-Commander died?" Varric laughed from his usual spot at the head of the table.

"Oh, no, nothing so glorious. I just think today is a good day, don't you?" The smile the mage gave Varric just screamed mischief, something the bardic dwarf usually only saw in his other, more rogue-ish friends.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with our favourite twin dagger temptress of a leader, and a certain broody elf, would it?"

"Perhaps, but can you blame me? Finally, that animal has shown it's true colours. I don't know the exact details, but my sources say it's pretty serious. Our fearless leader might actually have gotten some her sense back and shown the dog the door." He replied joyfully as he ordered an ale.

Varric just chuckled and looked back to the pages he held where he was recording their most recent adventure. Taking a sip of ale, he sighed at the exuberance of his apostate friend. "Best be careful Blondie. Those two have been dancing back and forth for several years now. Who knows how long this one will last?"

"Are you kidding me, Varric? It's been weeks now, and Hawke still hasn't spoken more than a few words to that animal. I'm telling you, it's finally happened! And tonight, I am going to finally tell her how I feel." Ander said before he downed the ale that was placed in front of him before ordering another.

"Oh, is this about what happened between Hawke and Fenris?" Both heads turned to see the petite Dalish elf walk up the stairs towards them. "Or did I miss something again? Oh no, I did, didn't I? I try to keep up with everything going on, but sometimes it gets so confusing. I was just telling myself today that I need to pay better attention to-"

"Daisy, sweetheart, slow down. You didn't miss anything. Blondie here just thinks he should go try his luck with our fearless leader now that she and Broody seem to, uh..."

"Oh I don't about that."

"What, did I miss some sort of memo saying you all should show up at my door today?" Varric chided as Isabella joined the group. "Ah, who am I kidding? Hawke still hasn't left her house, and where else would our band of misfits go without her?"

"Nora! A round up here if you will! It's on me!" Anders called out, still unable to stop his broad smile from disappearing. After catching the surprised looks of his companions, he just shrugged and chuckled like it wasn't a big deal. "What? Today is a very good day, and I feel like celebrating!"

"Celebrating is going to have to wait, Anders."

The whole group turned to see Hawke standing in the doorway to Varric's suite, dressed in full armor and a stern look on her face.

"What's up, Hawke?"

The look she gave him made Varric wished he kept his mouth shut. Pain and fear showed brightly in her eyes for the brief second their gazes met. Then after her taking a deep breath, the steely nature that she normally had doing a job returned.

"It's - It's my mother. She is missing, and I need to look for her. Anders, Varric, I need you both. I was hoping Aveline would be free but apparently she is off outside the city on patrols. We don't have the time to wait for her, and I need someone with hard steel." Again, the pain flashed for a split moment while she shifted her feet and her gaze went distant for a brief moment. "So we're picking up Fenris on the way to Dark Town."

Turning, she left her companions where they sat as she descended the stairs, having full confidence her friends would follow her.

"Oh, this doesn't bode well. I think your plans are going to have to wait, Blondie." Varric spoke as he downed his ale and stood up, reaching for Bianca who was ever at his side.

"Me and the little one will track down Aveline and bring her back to the city. We'll be at the Keep if you need us."

"Oh, I hope Hawke's mother is alright. Leandra is such a nice lady and always makes these wonderful sweetcakes whenever I go visit with her."

Isabella sighed and dragged the young Dale out the door of the Hanged Man as the two men ran after Hawke towards High Town.

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_"You can do this! She needs someone right now, and this is your chance to show her that you are the one who truly cares for her!"_

Anders, stood by the door of Hawke's estate, trying to work up the courage to go in. He didn't really know what to say to her. How does one console another after something so dreadful? Sighing heavily, he knocked on the door. After waiting for a minute and still no answer, he peeked around the side of the building to again verify to himself that there were lights on inside which should mean that Hawke was home.

He knocked again, but still no reply. Feeling worried something may of happened, he pushed open the door to find it unlocked. As the worrying increased, he made his way through the entrance hall into the main room. It was then he heard Hawke yelling at someone.

"No! You cannot just come back here after leaving me and expect me to crawl back to you. Especially not tonight. My mother is dead Fenris! Dead! My heart is damaged enough! I will not survive to have it broken again by you."

Feeling anger swell inside him, Anders had to fight the urge to run upstairs and throw that murdering slave out the door. He could feel Justice screaming at him to go confront him for showing his face after all the hurt he has caused Hawke.

Did he truly have no heart to him? To come here just hours after Leandra's death and try to weasel his way back into Hawke's arms?

Anders stopped at the irony of what he just thought crashed down on him. _"Well, at least I actually care for her! He just wants another roll, I bet. Well, not if I have anything to say about it!"_

Stopping just outside of Hawke's door, he paused before opening it and making Fenris leave his Hawke be. Silently, he listened, yet he heard no sound. Had the elf snapped and actually hurt her when she denied him?

Then he heard Hawke's melodic voice through the door, calling someone he assumed to be Fenris stupid. Smiling softly, he thought that perhaps indeed she had come to her senses about the elf.

Then he heard a crash, and Ander pushed open the door to her bedroom thinking she was in danger.

However, he wasn't prepared for what he did see. Hawke in that blasted elf's arms, kissing him! Anger burst forth in him as he saw her arms and hands wrapped tightly around the murder's neck.

"No! You shall not have her!" He heard Justice bellow. Anders knew he had to regain control over the spirit, but no matter how hard he tried, the spirit's rage was too much for him.

"Anders?"

"Abomination..." Sneered Fenris at the same time Hawke called out the mage's name. "What are you doing here?"

"You do not deserve her, you animal. I will not let you use her again!" Justice roared as he grabbed ahold of his staff and started chanting attack spells.

"Anders! Stop!" Hawke screamed as she ran over to the possessed mage. Fenris tried to block her, but she pushed past him. Knowing that Justice ruled at this moment, Hawke tried to get her friend to focus on her, to help bring himself back under control.

Fenris watched in horror as the woman he loved put herself in between himself and the abomination, determined to try and get the mage to reign in his foul spirit.

"Justice, please stop!"

"Out of my way, woman! This filth must be removed before he causes even more pain!" Justice's echoing voice screamed before a blast emanated from his body, knocking Hawke violently across the room.

"Hawke!" Roared Fenris. One moment Hawke stood before the mage, the next she crashed into the posts of her bed, snapping them due to the force she landed with.

"Oh Maker no!" Whispered Anders, breaking forth as he saw what Justice - what *he* did! He tried to go to her, but Fenris pushed him away as the elf knelt by her side.

At first she seemed fine, just unconscious. All that hope died though when Fenris saw her cough up blood. He tried to lift her, but was treated to a pained scream that escaped her lips. Looking down her body, he saw in the faint light the piece of wood sticking through her chest.

"No, no, no, no! Hawke! Maker, no, this can't be happening!" Hawke's eyes fluttered slightly at his words, letting out a soft groan as her head lolled to the side.

"Hawke, speak to me! Open your eyes!" The growl in his voice filled with worry and pain as he commanded her to look at him.

"Fenris?" Hawke's voice was soft, weak, hesitant; something the woman has never been. Yet it sounded like music to the distraught elf's ears.

"Yes, my love. Iris, please open your eyes..."

Hawke heard his pleading, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to keep her eyes open. The pain in her chest felt like hot fire spreading through body before dying down quickly, leaving a coldness in its place.

"Fenris, I'm cold..."

"Iris! Stay with me! Don't even think of leaving me now!"

Hawke coughed again, and with it more blood than before escaped her lips and went to drip down her cheek to the debris below her head. Then she did not move again...

"Iris! Iris! Damn it Hawke open your eyes! You are not allowed to die on me!" After shaking her a couple of time, Fenris lifted his head back and let out a baleful howl that was sure to wake the whole house, if not the neighborhood itself.

Ander's stood there in disbelief. This had to be a dream, right? This can't be happening! He slunk down to his knees as his staff fell from hand and clattered loudly to the floor.

Hawke... The woman who had done everything she could to help out everyone she could... Giving of herself to anyone who needed her... She was gone...

* * *

**Do not worry, my readers! This is not the end! I will try to update again soon... So stay tuned... *evil grin***


	4. Enchantment

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. Again, this is a fairly long chapter, yet I didn't feel right breaking it up. I wasn't sure at first how long this story would be, and I am still not sure, but the voices in my head are telling me that I must continue. So I hope you all enjoy my ramblings. And reviews you leave are greatly appreciated!

* * *

The wind softly swirled around those gathered around the pyre, but did not remove the stench of burning flesh from the air. Around him, people gathered silently, listening to the Grand Cleric recite the rights of the dead. Some crying, others just simply staring silently. Returning his gaze to the pyre, Fenris wondered silently if there was something he could of done to save her. Anguish ripped at him, gnawing at his already fragile sanity.

"You alright, Fenris?" Fenris tried to hide his shock at being removed from his thoughts, yet the dwarf could see that the elf seemed to barely holding on.

"What, no nicknames, Varric?"

"No..." Varric sighed as he joined Fenris staring at the burning flames. "No, not today."

"...Now as we offer this woman to your side, we ask that you hold her close and protect her. Great Maker of us all, please accept our prayers and guide us through this troubling time." Elthina finished, signaling to everyone the ceremony was over. Slowly, friends and people who knew the woman began to wonder off. All but the elf's new companions.

"Any word about Anders?" Aveline asked as she approached Varric and Fenris. At the mention of the abomination's name, Fenris' markings glowed brightly and a deep growl could be heard coming from him.

"No. And if he knows what is good for him, he will stay gone. Why I did not strike him down, only Maker knows. But I **_will _**find him, and when I do, I will take great pleasure in ripping his heart from his chest!" Fenris snarled, piercing Aveline with a deadly stare.

"I'm sorry, Fenris... I shouldn't of -"

"Do not worry about it. My anger is not for you, Aveline. I..." The glowing eased slightly as Fenris took one last look at the pyre in front of him. "I need to go. I have something I need to do."

With that Fenris stalked off. Watching him go, the small group of friends stood silently, speechless as they each tried to absorb the events of recent days.

"Where is he off too? Did I do something again?" Merrill asked innocently as she watched the silver haired elf walk away.

Everyone turned to look at the small Dale and supressed a groan at her question.

"Come on, sweetie. I think some ale is just what we need right now." The female pirate remarked as she fluffed Merrill's hair before heading toward Low Town.

* * *

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* * *

"Orsino."

The First Enchanter looked up from his patient to see the silver haired Tevinter elf come through the door. "Fenris, is the funeral over? Sorry I could not attend, but I needed to attend to matters here."

"How is she? Has she awoken?" His breath caught as he crossed the room, remembering what had happened the day before. The room was different, but the similarities between the two was enough to bring the memories crashing upon him, making his heart clench in his chest.

"No, I'm afraid not. She breathes, and the injuries are mostly healed, however I suspect something else is keeping our fair friend from awakening." Orsino sighed as he made room beside the bed for Fenris. Gently, the elf took the woman's hand, a look of longing on his face.

Orsino noted his expression as he watched Fenris slowly run his hand across the woman's forehead.

"What is it that I must do?"

The words were said without emotion, without even looking away from her face, but Orsino knew the elf cared for the women. They all did, in fact. Each in their own way.

"Tell me what I must do to bring Hawke back to us."

* * *

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* * *

_****The previous night****_

"Maker... What have I done?" Anders whispered as he watched Fenris hold on to the woman he loved. At his words, Fenris looked up, seeking out the mage as if he just remembered his presence. Eyes blazing with hatred and contempt, Fenris' skin burned as the lyrium glowed brightly. The ache in his heart temporarily forgotten as it was replaced by a blinding rage.

"YOU! What have you done?! You have killed her!" Roared Fenris as he leapt up and ran at Anders. Grabbing him by his feathered cowl, Fenris lifted the mage up to his feet and threw him against the wall. The force seeming to shake the whole room as pieces of the wall fell from the indent Anders' body made.

Anders didn't fight the attack, he couldn't even take his eyes away from the lifeless form of his dear beloved. It wasn't until he felt a hard gauntleted fist strike him across the jaw did he seem to come out of his stupor.

His legs buckling under the blow, Anders fell down to the ground, spitting out some of the blood that filled his mouth. Another blow came, this time a sharp kick to his ribs, causing him roll away on to his side.

He knew he deserved this, every blow given to him reminding him of what he had done. Another blow came again to face, perhaps from the elf's boots, but at the current point, Anders was unable to tell anymore.

Fenris only stopped his assault when he heard the startled voices of the elder dwarven servant as he entered the room, most likely awoken due to all the noise.

"By the Maker! What is going on! Messere Fenris?" Bodahn came rushing into the room, followed by his son, Sandal, and the new elven servant Orana. With Fenris distracted by their presence, Anders slowly pushed himself to his knees, and with one hand around his aching ribs, managed to crawl a few feet away, out of the way of the three newcomers.

"Maker, no..." Whispered Bodahn as he caught sight of the lifeless Hawke still lying among the remains of her bed. Sandal pushed past his father and ran to Hawke's side, crying and repeating over and again "Pretty Lady", the words he always to describe his new friend.

Orana just shrieked, covering her mouth with her hand before she turned and ran from the room and out of the house.

Fenris just stood there, feeling his rage ebb as he watched the two dwarves approach Hawke. His despair starting to return, Fenris found he couldn't speak to explain what had happened. All he could do was watch silently as both servants kneeled by the broken remains of his love.

Suddenly, the smaller of the two dwarves stood up and ran from the room and down the stairs. Bodahn tried to reach for his son, but figured the sight was just to much for the poor boy and let him go. However, within less than a minute, the boy returned, with what appeared to be a small stone in his hand.

"What is it, boy? What do you have?" asked his father, yet the boy didn't answer. Instead he walked over to Anders, who was now leaning against a wall a few feet away from Fenris. When Fenris saw the boy approach the mage who had killed Hawke, he could feel his skin again begin to burn as the rage returned to him.

"Do not go near him!" Growled Fenris as he grabbed the boy's arm. Sandal just looked up at him, and the look on his face shocked Fenris enough to let him go. He always thought the dwarven boy was a bit mentally lacking, but he seemed nice enough whenever Fenris came across him. However, this time those dwarven eyes didn't hold their normal innocence in them. Right now, they seemed ancient, like they held more wisdom in them than Fenris ever thought possible.

"Please... Anders, help Pretty Lady." Sandal's voice seemed pleading, like what he held in his hand could actually help. Bewildered, Fenris let go of the boy's arm and watched as he handed the small stone object out to Anders. "Take this. Help, please..."

Anders just stared at the boy in front of him. Like most, he never gave the boy much thought. Sure, Anders had heard stories of strange things happening around the boy, and that he seemed to be a competent enchanter, but he had no clue what he was asking of him now.

The look on Sandal's face was a mixture of concern, hope, and something else... Something foreign and far away. Slowly, Anders reached out his hand and took the small stone from the boy's hand. Looking at it, it appeared to be an enchantment, but not one had ever seen before. Once the he handed over the stone, Sandal stepped to the side, allowing Anders to see past him to the woman lying dead in the rubble of what used to be her bed.

Completely unsure of what he was supposed to do, Anders decided that he must at least try whatever it was the boy wanted. With a loud grunt, he forced himself to his feet, wavering slightly as dizziness threatened to over take him as fresh pain flooded his body.

Growling, Fenris stepped in front of the mage, murder dancing on his eyes as he glared at him. "Don't even think of going near her, _abomination_." If a word could of been spoken with more rancor and lethality, Anders had never heard it. Even his hatred for Templars didn't even seem to match the hatred in Fenris' voice. Could he blame him though? After what he had done?

Never removing his eyes from Fenris' glare, he heard a small scuffling as Sandal moved closer to the murderous elf, taking his hand. The already constant glow from Fenris' skin spiked higher at the sensation, and it took a sheer force of will not to strike out at the small dwarf.

Across the room, Fenris heard the sharp intake of breath that must of came from Bodahn as he watched his son touch the Tevinter elf. Memories of Hawke pulling him and his son to the side years ago and telling them to never touch the mysterious man echoed in his head, and he couldn't help but fear for the life of his dear son.

However, the look in Sandal's eyes as he looked up at the elf is what really steadied Fenris' hand. Again, his eyes were filled with a longing and a type of wisdom that Fenris had never seen before. Reluctantly, he looked back at the mage who had stolen his life from him.

"_Fasta vass_. But I am watching you _abomination_. I will **not** let you desecrate her body further. Do what you must, but know that I am not through with you!" Malevolence and venom dripped from his voice as his eyes sparked hot coals at the mage. To his credit, Anders didn't try to say anything back, just nodded his head sightly before hobbling awkwardly over to where his beautiful Hawke lie.

Falling to his knees by her side, grief threatened to overcome him. Blinking back the tears he felt stinging his eyes, he lowered his hand to lightly brush against her cooling cheek. He stopped however, as he heard a loud growl from behind him. Sighing heavily, he held the stone in his hand trying to think of what he was supposed to do.

"Think. Feel her life. Pull it back." He heard Sandal say from beside him. Anders looked up to see the young dwarf reach out and place his tiny hand on his own. With a smile that was so characteristically his own, Sandal nodded to the mage. "Enchantment..."

No sooner had he spoke did a small light start to emanate from the stone in Anders hand. Swallowing his surprise, he tried to do as Sandal said. Closing his eyes, he steadied his breathing and focused on Hawke life force. At first, he couldn't feel anything, but as the minutes ticked by - _or was it hours?_ - he began to see a small light flicker in his mind's eye.

Using his powers, he tried to reach out for it, but it kept slipping out of his grasp. Feeling frustrated, his concentration started to waver, and he could feel the light drifting further away.

"By all that is holy, Andraste guide me..." Anders heard himself whisper quietly to himself.

_"I shall lend you my aid..."_

The heavy male voice echoed through Anders mind, almost making him lose his focus again.

_"No! You have done enough, spirit! It is because of you that the woman I love now lies dead before me! I want you gone, spirit! Return from where you came, and never show yourself again!"_

Anders' inner voice shouted into the void of his mind.

Anger at the situation and at the spirit's intrusion filled him, cementing Anders' determination to make amends. Even if the spirit did this to her, it was because of him that the spirit held such anger and hatred. He had corrupted the spirit, and he had been a fool to not realize what would happen when he made his offer to his friend so long ago.

Anders felt his body tingle as a sharp flood of electricity filled his body. With the pain came a strengthening of his powers, and with one last grasp was able to hold onto the small light that was Hawke's life force. Using the remaining of his power, he guided the light closer to himself, and when the light was before him, Anders opened his eyes to see the light become real.

Tiny, no more the size of a star in the night sky, it hovered silently over Hawke's still body. Ignoring the sharp intake of breaths from those around the room, he placed his hands on either side of the light and slowly guided it downward.

When the light disappeared into the corpse of the woman who he loved - _who he is responsible for killing!_ - Anders began to pour healing magick onto her, trying everything he could to return his love back to the world of the living.

Seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. Sweat beaded on Anders forehead, using every last bit of himself to try and heal her. Finally, a movement, a small flutter of her chest. Was he imagining it? _No, there it was again!_ Again, a small intake of breath, this time more audible even though it was barely more than a whisper.

"Thank the Maker! She's alive!" He exclaimed, shocked and stunned beyond measure. Anders didn't even care when he was violently shoved aside by the elf who scooped Hawke up into his arms.

"Orsino!" Fenris barked over his shoulder. Suddenly the old mage was beside his side, examining Hawke who was still in the elf's arms. Anders doubted it would be easy for anyone to remove her from his grasp, as he knew it would be for him if he were the elf.

It was then that Anders' mind clicked forward and he noticed the room they were in was more full than it was just a few moments ago. He turned his head to see not only the two dwarves, but several guardsmen and templars looking at him with their hand's on their blades. And behind them was the elven girl who worked for Hawke, Orana.

_"Of course. She wasn't running away, but getting help for her mistress. Smart girl in bringing the First Enchanter, it also explained the templars. Not so good for me, however."_

No sooner had the thought passed through his mind did two templars make their way over to him and roughly pull him to his feet. The pain from the beating he received from Fenris returned in force, yet he did not struggle against them. At the moment, he wanted to be taken by them. He knew it was because of him that Hawke almost died -_ **did die** _- and he knew he would have to pay the price for his crimes.

Before he was removed from the room entirely, however, he heard the First Enchanter tell the templars to just take him downstairs. He needed to know what happened and what exactly Anders had done. The templars grumbled about not being ordered around by a _mage_, yet they saw his wisdom and took Anders down the stairs into the main room where the threw him roughly into one of the chairs there.

Anders looked up in time to see Orsino guide Fenris from the room to the room across the hall - Hawke's mother's room. There he suspected they would examine her further before anything else was done.

"Whatever comes, I shall face it without running. Maker, please keep her safe."

* * *

_****Upstairs****_

"Lay her down here, Fenris. I must examine her. She is still gravely injured, and I need to remove the piece of wood from her chest before we lose her again."

Fenris quickly obeyed the First Enchanter, laying her down gently on her mother's bed. However, he did not move away, instead kneeling down and taking her hand in his, grateful beyond words she was alive.

In the moments when he realized she was gone, he felt himself die. His past, his memories, his fears, the very lyrium burned into his skin; none of it mattered anymore. Unable to breath, all he could do was just look down at the woman who just minutes ago accepted him, flaws and all. Now, she was gone from him.

Rage, despair, fear, shock, horror... They all filled him in one great rush that formed into a bellowing roar that consumed him. And when it washed away as quickly as it came, all he was left with was a bitter darkening rage and a growing void of emptiness inside of him, emptiness that once was filled with the beautiful rogue who had not only stolen his heart, but melted and put it back together as well.

Lifting his eyes to the mage who stolen everything from him, he flew at him, intending to not just kill him but to make him suffer as much as possible. Raining blows down on him, his anger grew. And when he heard movement coming from the open door of the room, he very nearly attacked them too. Thankfully, his mind recognized the two dwarves and elven girl before his rage lashed out at them too.

Seeing them there, their grief and shock on their faces, brought everything back to Fenris' mind. Unable to move, he watched as two dwarves approached the still body on the floor. Part of him wanted to push them away, to keep her all to himself, even in death. But the sadness he saw on their faces held him still. He wasn't the only one who adored the woman who lay there. Everyone she met grew to love her.

That is, if they survived.

Nothing had ever seemed to stop the woman, not blade nor arrow. Hawke was deadly with her strikes, dancing a morbid dance of death in battle. Countless times he had seen her get injured in the heat of battle, yet nothing seemed to be more than a scratch with how she held herself. Always seeing to others and refusing treatment until she assured that the others were well.

Fenris had started to believe that nothing could take her down.

Yet, how very wrong he was. There she lay slain, by a person she called friend even! Again, grief clawed at him, nearly dropping him to the floor. When the smaller dwarven boy fled the room, he could hardly blame him. The boy had seemed to develop a child-like crush on his Hawke. Always rushing to do whatever she asked. To see her slain must of been too much for the lad.

Yet not even a few moments later did he return with that mysterious stone. And for as much as he grew to like the boy, Fenris could not believe he wanted that _abomination_ to help! What did he think he could do? However, as he blocked the mage from approaching his love, the look the young dwarf gave him made him feel like he needed to let him try. Was he being a fool? What more could be done? She was **_dead_**!

Yet he stood back and watched as the _abomination_ knelt before her body while the young dwarf joined him. Soon, a small light came out of the stone, and for a split moment, Fenris allowed himself to have a small hope that maybe - **_maybe_** - there was a chance for something, anything to happen.

Fenris watched as Anders closed his eyes and did whatever magick the boy thought he could do. When he heard more noise coming from the door, he caught a glimpse of templar steel and rushed over to keep them from interfering.

"Shhh! Let him do what he is doing, then you may take him and string him up and quarter him for all I care. But for the moment, **let him be**." It was not a request. It was not even a command. It simply was; stated with the force of kings and great leaders. A statement that promised death to any who dared to disobey.

The templars and guards looked uneasily back and forth between them, then back at the glowing elf who had murder in his eyes. Hands on their blades, they debated what they should do, but Orsino recognized the Tevinter elf, and quickly went to defuse the guards before things got even more bloody.

"Let us wait one moment, my friends. We do not want more blood here, and if the apostate can heal the woman, I say we give him a chance." His voice was calm and level, but his eyes betrayed the worry and fear the First Enchanter had. Still unmoving from his position blocking the entrance into the room, Fenris looked like he was ready to kill any who thought of interrupting whatever was happening behind him.

"But ser, the apostate must-"

"And he will, my dear Templar. However, a few moments will not hurt us as we wait to see what transpires. If he makes any move of escape or to threaten anyone present, I will not stop you. I will even help to disable him for you. But for the moment, if there is a chance, any chance at all, that the life of this dear woman may be saved, we must allow it."

Passing uneasy glances between them, they each nodded their agreement. Hawke was well known around Kirkwall, even amongst the templars. Many at least respected her, even if they did not agree or even particularly like the woman.

Removing their hands from their blades, the templars and guardsmen relaxed their stances and were allowed into the room by the deadly, glowing elf.

* * *

"**Fenris!**"

Fenris blinked rapidly as he came back to the present. The First Enchanter looked as if he was trying to get his attention. He looked over to the door and saw the templars ever watchful gaze upon them.

"Yes, I am sorry, Orsino. Please repeat what you said."

"I was saying that I need you to help hold her still while I remove the offending piece of wood. It is embedded deep, and I need it removed if I am to stop the bleeding and close the wound."

Fenris nodded, and moved up onto the bed, placing Hawke between his legs and leaning over so he could hold her shoulders down. Knowing this would undoubtably hurt her made Fenris' stomach constrict, yet he held his pose knowing that this must be done. Silently, he whispered his apologies before nodding to Orsino to begin.

Grabbing a bottle of lyrium that Hawke kept stored for emergencies, he poured some on the wound before drinking the rest down. Then, grabbing hold of the piece of wood with one hand, he swiftly pulled it free from her flesh. Feeling her body constrict and her breath hitch, Fenris prayed to whatever gods existed to keep her with him. He could not lose her again.

As soon as the wood was free, the wound began to bleed profusely. However, Orsino was quick with his spells, and within seconds the wound started to close. Fenris watched as beads of sweat formed on the mage's brow as he worked to heal the damage done to her body.

"I need more lyrium!" Orsino choked out without taking his eyes off his patient.

The templars just stood still, unwilling to leave the mage alone and unwatched.

Watching their inaction only served to anger Fenris more. Setting his jaw he looked up at the First Enchanter, and through gritted teeth, uttered the one thing he never thought he would allow again. "Use me, mage. My body is lined with lyrium. Do whatever you need. Just... Just save her!"

Orsino just stared at Fenris, knowing fully what he was asking. "Are you sure?"

Ripping the gauntlet off his right arm, he offered it up to the mage with raw determination in his eyes.

Nodding solemnly, Orsino took the elf's arm with one hand while still using his other to work the healing magick, Orsino felt the rush of power flood through him immediately. Fenris held his teeth clenched as pain rocked through him, nearly blinding him. Along with it came the memories... Memories of when he was still a slave and his lyrium fused body was used to aid his master and his... _spells_.

He would not stop, though. Not if it meant saving his Hawke.

After a few minutes of intense agony, Orsino finally let go of Fenris' arm. A rush of air escaped past Fenris' lips as he released the breath he held to keep himself from screaming out. Through watery eyes, he looked down at Hawke to see the wound closed, a pink scar indicating where the wound had been.

Out of breath himself, Orsino stumbled back a few steps before his legs found a chair that was near the dresser on the side of the room.

"Serah?"

Orsino opened his weary eyes and looked at the templar who spoken. "I am fine. Just out of breath. A few moments, my dear templar."

"Will she live?" Fenris and Orsino looked up at the familiar voice. Standing amongst the guards was Aveline, the guard's captain and good friend to Hawke and her band of companions. Dressed for once not in her uniform, but what appeared her sleeping clothes. No doubt she rushed down here after someone had awoken her and told her what had happened.

"I believe so. At least, her body will." Orsino sighed and sat up straighter in the seat he was occupying. "Her soul, however, is another matter." Standing stiffly, Orsino moved closer to the bed to speak more directly with Fenris. "I do not know what that mage did. I do not know how he brought her life back. However grateful I am for saving her life, I do know that only her life was returned to her body. The essence that keeps her alive and allows her heart to beat. Her soul, however, the part that makes Hawke who she is, that I cannot sense within her. It is simply gone."

"Was it blood magic?" Asked a templar, still standing at the doorway, ever watchful of the passing events.

"No. No blood magic was involved." Fenris stated coldly. As much as he hated the abomination, he would not lie. Even if he didn't know the true answer, he knew what he saw. And despite being possessed, the mage used no blood magic on her.

"Then what was it? When we entered the room, we saw a bright light coming from the mage's hands. Aye, his whole body seemed to be glowing. Not like ser elf's did, mind you. But it was still there. First Enchanter, do you know?" This time the voice that spoke was that of a guard, who was quickly silenced from a sharp look from Aveline.

Orsino only shook his head. The answer to that question was the reason why he wanted Anders to be kept in the main room until he had a chance to question him. Sighing, he realized that now that Hawke seemed to be well enough to live for the time being, he better not put off questioning the young mage for much longer before Meredith arrived and blocked him entirely from the questioning. Maker help the lad then.

"If you will, my dear templars, I believe Serah Hawke to no longer be in danger of dying. Being the case, I would like to question the mage downstairs to gain better insights into what occurred. However, I do not believe Serah Hawke to completely out of the woods yet, so I would appreciate it greatly if the questioning took place downstairs so I am close by in case I am needed again."

_"Never mind that here I will have a few free moments to question him before Meredith sticks her sodding head into it."_

The man who appeared to be in command nodded to the First Enchanter after a few moments to consider the offer. Orsino smiled politely as he walked from the room and downstairs. _"Blast the courtesy I must dance to just to get to the bottom of things!"_

All the guards also left the room, all except for Aveline. Slowly she walked across the room to stand near the bed where Fenris still held Hawke tightly.

"Orsino is a good man. If there was anything to be done, he did it. As for the rest..." Aveline tried to be positive, to keep a smile on her face, yet looking down at the bloodied and disheveled body of her dear friend nearly undid all her careful training in keeping calm during straining situations.

"She will be fine!" Fenris barked out, his eyes snapping fire once again. Whether he was trying to convince the guard-captain or himself, he wasn't sure.

All he knew was that his Hawke, his Iris, **_must_** be alright!


	5. Gathering Information

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. Also, the order of events for things that **do** happen in the game is a bit off I believe. Hope you don't mind.

* * *

"What do you mean, _no_?" Fenris growled as he slammed his fist down on the table. All day he has been travelling all over Kirkwall, trying to find leads on some form of magick that could help Hawke come back to herself. After a considerable bribe to a Darktown whore, he had the name of a solitary mage that lived out past the Bone Pit, north of Kirkwall. Now, he just needed to bring some of his comrades along to see if this mage was even there, let alone could lend any sort of information.

"I mean exactly that, elf." Varric knew he was milliseconds away from having the furious elf crushing his heart, but he needed to talk some sense into the man before he ran off half-cocked against who knew what with barely any more information than a vague description of a location. Choosing his next words very carefully, he looked into Fenris' eyes as he spoke next. "Look, it's pitch black out there. Going now with only partial and vague descriptions of where this mage supposedly lives will only get us all lost, if not eaten by who knows what. Personally, I'm betting on dragons."

"He's right, Fenris. Go all growl-ly all you want, but we need more information than simply 'North of the Bone Pit'. At least wait until morning."

Fenris turned his fiery glare upon the female pirate. Sitting in the Hanged Man up in Varric's suite, Fenris thought he could just grab one or two of his companions to watch his back in a fight and be able to leave immediately. However, as much as he hated to admit it, they did have a point. That didn't quell his anger or his desire to remove the heads of both the dwarf and the pirate who refused to help him, however. Defeated, he sat back a chair and crossed his arms, piercing both of them with deadly glares.

"So what do you suggest? It took me all day to find someone who knew anything of what I spoke of, and even when I did I lost a good amount of coin to just get what I did. It's been a _week_, Varric!"

"I know! Trust me, we all have been running down every lead we can. I've called in favors from people who are less sociable than the Darkspawn with no luck. Rivaini here just got back from the docks, and I don't even want to know what she did to get what little information she has."

"Trust me, you don't. Hell, neither do I, and that's saying something." Isabella replied before taking a long swig of her ale.

"You learned of something? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because as soon as you stormed in here you've been barking at us to get our gear together and follow you off into the wilderness!" the piratess countered heatedly.

"So say it now!"

Groaning deeply, Isabella just sat back in her chair, mimicking Fenris' expression by crossing her own arms and covering her face in a scowl.

"_No._"

"And by Andraste's flaming ass, why not!"

They both looked at him, utter shock and surprise on both of their faces. However, Fenris just again ignored their looks; by this point he felt like he was barely holding on to what little sanity he had left. Isabella had just admitted to knowing something that could help his Hawke, yet she refused to tell him. Again, his markings flared brightly as he ground his teeth together, trying desperately to contain himself. To her credit, no trace of humor was on the woman's face. He wasn't sure if he would be able to keep himself from ripping out her heart if he thought she was getting amusement out of torturing him like this.

"Because before I came I here, I paid a boy to act as runner, telling him to go gather the rest of our band of misfits and tell them to come here. You are right in that it _has_ been a week, and all of us have been so busy chasing our tails that we haven't had a chance to compare notes or to see what the other's have learned."

"I heard Daisy even went back to her clan begging for information, and you know how welcome she is there. Not only that, but the rumor is that Red nearly lost her own head confronting Meredith about going through the Circle's records. That itself should tell you how serious we all are taking this." Varric added. Honestly, he couldn't fault the elf for being so impatient. As soon as he heard Rivaini actually had something to offer, he canceled two of his meetings to make sure they were not interrupted. "Remember, Broody, Hawke is special to all of us. We all were hit hard with what happened, and we are just as eager as you are to get our fearless leader back to cracking heads and fending off the advances of our pirate friend here."

"I don't brood." Fenris paused and shot a glare over to Isabella as she covered up a small laugh with her hand before it escaped fully. Sighing he just shook his head, realizing the dwarf was right. "Forgive me, I know all of you care for Hawke as well. It's just..."

"Hey, no need to explain, my friend. Anybody with eyes knew how you two felt about each other. Most of us are just surprised it took so long."

"I had bets on last spring, but then that nasty business with that Qunari poison happened. For weeks, I didn't think any of us were going to get back to being 100%."

"Well if it isn't Man-Hands- ehh, I mean Aveline!"

Fenris was sure the slip was intentional, and by the chiding look on the guardcaptain's face, it appears she took it that was as well.

"Very funny. But I doubt you gathered us all here so you could remark about my hands, Isabella..." at a mischievous look from the pirate, Aveline shuttered slightly then added "On second thought, never mind."

"Man-hands..." Isabella quietly laughed to herself.

"Whore..."

"Okay, enough ladies." Varric interrupted before things drifted to far from the reason they were gathering here. "Where's Daisy?"

"I saw her just outside Gemlen's old house while on the way here, but she was running back towards the Alienage." Aveline answered. "Probably forgot her staff again." She groaned softly. "I swear if that girl didn't have her head attached..."

"Then the Dread Wolf would come and whisk it away to where I would never find it again! At least, that is what the Keeper always used to tell me whenever I lost something or forgot it behind. Lost many good shoes and gloves like that."

They turned their heads to see the petite Dalish elf walk up towards the suite with her staff in hand, and quite clearly a little out of breath. despite everything, Fenris smiled to himself at the rag-tag band of adventurers he had befriended over the years. Even the bloodmage had her moments when he didn't immediately want to kill her. However, the levity of the reason for their gathering finally descended upon them as Merrill took a seat next to Fenris, something that despite how used he was becoming to her presence, he still did not feel comfortable with. Standing, he walked over to the wall separating this room from the one with Varric's bedchambers and leaned his back against it.

"So, the boy said you had news, Isabella. Is it about Hawke?"

"Actually, _no_." The look on her companions faces ranged from shock to outright lethality. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "It actually has to do with a certain dwarven servant's son."

"The boy Sandal?" Inquired Merrill, not noticing the annoyance of Aveline and Fenris at her interruptions.

"The very same. From the story that Fenris told us of what happened, it was his stone that allowed And-" Isabella stopped herself at the sudden menacing growl coming from the now glowing elf. "Uhh, that brought Hawke back to life." Isabella corrected herself, mentally chastising herself for bringing up the mage's name in front of Fenris. Ever since Hawke was attacked, whoever was foolish enough to bring Ander's name usually had their life being threatened, or worse - as with the case of one unlucky smuggler - actual death. Even Isabella was certainly not foolish enough to push at **_that _**boundary.

"What about him? From what I hear, he's a bit, uhh... Well, _touched_."

"That may be the case, but even you, Varric, had seen some of the boy's strange abilities. Remember that time in the Deep Roads when he literally _froze_ a raging ogre?" Aveline replied.

"True. That boy does seem to have some oddness to him. I even heard a story about him during the blight, where the Hero of Ferelden came upon him covered in blood alone in a room of full of dead Darkspawn with no real explanation as to what happened."

"Well, it seems our boy's father has been seeking out apocratharies in Lowtown for his son's sleeping problems."

"How does that help us?" Fenris snarled, quickly losing what little patience he had before even entering this accursed tavern.

"Oh, it's not the sleeping problems I found interesting. It was what he _spoke_ of while he dreamed." added Isabella, enjoying far too much the suspense that dragging this out was causing. However, before she ended up losing some vital organ that was necessary for living, she decided to continue on.

_"These buggers are never any fun. I know Hawke needs us and all, but does everything need to be so damned __**serious**__?" _Isabella thought to herself. "Word is the boy's been plagued of dreams of an evil, scary lady with horns on the side of her head and flowing white hair."

"Flemeth."

"Flemeth."

"Asha-bellanar?"

"Witch."

"Yes, yes, I think so, and most definitely." Isabella replied, answering each of her companions in turn. "So far, the dwarf Bodahn has only told me, and that was only because, well, I'm me." she continued on with a sly smile.

"Oh, please don't tell me you slept with him!" Aveline remarked a bit too loudly.

"Maker no! Well, the thought did cross my mind, however he told me outright when I cornered him about the rumors I heard."

"Thank the Maker!" Aveline replied under her breath, but not quite quiet enough for Varric not to hear, however.

"I don't know if I should take offence at that, Red. There has been many a human who has fallen for dwarven charm. It seems the Maker made us just the right for,... well, for more creative uses for our tongues than just talking..." replied Varric, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Isabella barked out a laugh as both Aveline and Merrill turned a nice shade of pink.

"No, I didn't mean that! It's just-"

"Will you stop this squabbling! We need to get Hawke back, but if you all wish to banter and speak of each other's sex lives, then I will do it myself!" Immediately the voices quieted down and became more serious as Fenris started for the stairs leading down to main bar area and out the door.

"Wait, Fenris! That's unfair!" Aveline called back as she caught up with the angry elf.

"No, Aveline! What is not fair is that Hawke has regained her life, yet is still lost to us. That for years she has looked after each one of us, coming to us in our times of need and helping in ways only she could. That after every battle we were in, she refused to be treated until she made sure that we were all well again. That no matter how angry we got at her or each other, she always supported us and brought us back together. That even though she lost her whole family, she was willing to stand up and defend those she cared about against an angry spirit! **That** is what is unfair, Aveline. **That** is what matters. Now, instead of doing the same, you all are bickering and making jokes while she lays unmoving in her dead mother's room! She doesn't even have the dignity to be in her own room until her new bed arrives and the mess is cleaned up." Fenris contemptuously snarled. Eyes blazing with fury and helplessness, he stared at the red-headed guard for a few moments while she remained speechless.

"You're right." Aveline finally muttered, stepping back slightly. "Maker forgive us, but I think we have all been busy thinking about how hard _we_ have been working this past week that we again failed to realize just how much Hawke has done for us all. Personally, if it wasn't for her, I would probably of not be Captain of the Guard or even be married to Donnic right now. Flames, I would probably be dead on the roads of Lothering if not for her and her family."

"I would probably still be locked up in the Deep Roads. It was by Andraste's grace that we defeated that Rock Golem and found a way out. If not for her, I would of ended up as a tasty meal for that thing." added Varric as he joined them.

"I would be completely alone, now. Probably wandering out in the wild after I had to leave my clan. Creators know I couldn't stay there, and I had no idea how to live in a city. She not only brought me to Kirkwall, but found me a place to live, helped me move in and decorate, and even visited me a lot when she was not busy. I owe her my life."

"We all do, Daisy. More times over than I can count."

Suddenly, all eyes went to Isabella as she stood against a wall examining her nails. Looking up and catching all their glares, she shrugged and tried to act as if it none of it bothered her.

"What? She may have helped you all, but I am still missing my relic **and** have Castillon still wanting me dead."

"Isabella..." The name being more of warning than a question as Aveline crossed her arms and gave the pirate one of her classic glares.

"Oh fine! She may have helped me out a few times in my search..." Isabella replied, refusing to meet the red-headed woman's intense glaze. After pausing a moment, and still not having the woman's glare lift, she added "Okay, and yes there was that time I almost got her killed when I got the times on that drop mixed up... and there was that time that one of the men I ripped off at cards cornered me outside the Hanged Man with a bunch of his cronies and Hawke ended up getting an arrow in the shoulder..."

"Isabella!" Aveline yelled, clearly getting very pissed at the pirate's evasiveness.

"What do you want me to say? That she's my best friend? That despite how much I annoy her or try to get her into bed, she has always been there for me whenever I needed a shoulder to lean on or just a partner in one of my idiotic schemes? Okay, yes! Now can we move on?" Her revelation didn't seem to faze anyone for a few seconds, then they all smiled at her like it was somehow a set up.

"Told you even she thought they were idiotic. You owe me twenty silvers Daisy."

"Oh! But I was saving that for a "welcome home" present for Hawke!" responded Merrill as she looked down with a defeated look in her eyes.

"Oh, by the Maker! You all suck!" Isabella heatedly replied as she pushed past the chuckling group towards the exit for the Hanged Man. Even Fenris had to hide a slight smile at what happened.

"Oh, are we leaving now? Where are we going?"

Again, the group groaned in response to the small elf's obvious questions. Aveline walked to her side and placed Merrill's arm on her own, and started walking towards the door with the others.

However, just as Aveline placed her hand on the door, Merrill uttered a quiet elven swear before running back up to Varric's suite. Before anyone could question her, however, she yelled back the answer.

"Forgot my staff again!"

* * *

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* * *

_****Somewhere in the Fade****_

Hawke opened her eyes slowly, unsure of where she was or why everything looked so..._off_. There was no other word she could think of as to how her surroundings looked to her as her gaze took in the high walls and carpeted floor around her. Everything looked so hazy, almost like she was looking through a slightly dirty piece of glass. Groaning from her aching muscles, she sat up and tried to remember what happened. It looked like she was in the Chantry back in Lothering, back before the blight came and destroyed everything.

"There you are! Mother is looking for you! She, father and Carver are waiting for us in the front. Come on you! The Reverend Mother will be beginning soon!"

Hawke's mouth gaped at the little girl in front of her, dressed in a nice blue dress and holding a stuffed doll made to look like Andraste. It looked exactly like the one that their father gave to her little sister when she was five!

"B-Bethany?"

Unable to move or even blink lest the small girl disappear, Hawke just stared at the vision in front of her. Could it really be her sister? Absently, Hawke reached forward and grabbed the girl, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Bethany! By the Maker! Is it really you?" laughed Hawke despite the protests of the little girl she clung to.

"Iris! Let go of me! I'm going to tell mother if you don't let go of me!" The tiny Bethany struggled in vain against Hawke for a moment longer before she was finally released and was able to gasp for breath. "What has gotten into you, sister?"

Hawke just laughed again and jumped to her feet. She was no longer wearing her finery, or even her armor. Instead she was wearing a very pretty blue dress that matched her sister's. Twirling her sister around, Hawke couldn't help but giggle and smile broadly, even while the patrons of the service turned to cast an odd look at her. She ignored their glances and stares however as her sister's words sank in. "Father is here? Carver too?"

"Of course silly! Now, let's hurry before mother gets cross at both of us and makes us clean out the barn again!" Bethany huffed before stomping back down the aisle between the pews of the Chantry. Hawke couldn't help but laugh again at the cute way her sister's face scrunched up whenever she was angry, however the thought of seeing her family again quickly took over her and sent Hawke running down the aisle to where her loved ones waited.

"Mother! Father! Carver!" Hawke didn't even care about all the strange looks her outburst brought as she ran up to her family, grabbing them all in a tight hug.

"By the Maker, Iris! What has gotten into you?"

"I told you mum, she's acting stranger than old Vethrine down by the creek lately!" Carver added between deep breaths when he was finally released. Again, all Hawke could seem to do was laugh and giggle like a stone touched dwarf.

"I'm fine, honestly. I am just so happy to see you."

"You just saw us a moment ago. I swear you are growing up to be just like your father." Hawke's mother replied, trying hard - yet failing horribly - to hide the half smile from her lips.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean, Lea?" scoffed her father half-heartedly as he wrapped his arms around his wife's midsection.

"Ahem!" The sound was stern, and they all turned to see the Reverend Mother looking down at them from the altar with a very angry look on her face. "If would you all care to sit down, we shall begin with the Chant; that is if there isn't something more important going on?"

The look the Mother gave was sure to even send the heartiest of demons running for cover. Each one of the Hawke family removed the smiles from their faces and quickly took their seats in the pews as the Reverend Mother gave a curt nod to the Chanter beside her. Even after being scolded by the scariest person in all of Lothering - at least to most of the children in the small town they lived in - Hawke happiness didn't seem to be dampened at all. For the rest of the service, even as she sang along with the hymns and repeated the Chant with her family, her stomach fluttered with joy as she stood with the very people she thought she would never see again.


	6. Sandal

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Also, I started writing another story, titled Vhenan'ara, and it revolved around Zevran and a very troubled female Warden Mahariel. (shameless plug, but who cares lol) So, if you like you can also read that! I will be trying to alternate days for updating the two stories, so please be patient for upcoming chapters!

And last but so very not least, thank you all so much for the reviews! They make me all happy and smiley and other fluffy stuff! lol Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review. It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

_Again, he found himself looking up at a tall tower. It wasn't like the place they kept the mages in, either in his homeland or this new one. It was scarier, especially with the dark sky looming beyond it. Old vines crawled all over the place, yet the tower of stone seemed surprisingly in good shape despite how old it was. Inside, he heard the growling grow louder. Walking up the twisting stairs, getting closer every second, his breathing grew more erratic with every step.. He knew what was at the top, and yet he couldn't help himself; he continued to climb higher and higher, despite the end that awaited him._

_Finally a large wooden door came into view. On it, a metal door-knocker in the shape of a dragon's head seemed to almost come alive in the shimmer from the moonlight that shone in from a nearby window. Cautiously, he reached a trembling hand forward, towards the dragon head. With his hands just inches away, the eyes of dragon started to glow a fierce red, and smoke started to curl out from its mouth._

_Terrified, he wanted to run, to get help, but he couldn't move. Again, he heard the Lady's call. Coming to him from beyond the door. Begging him to come see her, to help her... The compulsion was almost too much to bear, it prickled at his skin and made him pant heavily and his skin sweat. He wanted to help the Lady, but he was afraid. Afraid of the eyes that watched him, afraid of the growling he heard beyond the door. Slowly, he reached his hand forward again and pushed the door open. _

_However, just as the door swung wide enough for him to look inside, a giant fireball flew straight at him, engulfing him in its painful flames._

* * *

"FATHER!"

"Sandal! Are you alright, my boy?" Bodahn ran over to his son's bed, trying to calm the crying and trembling youngster. "By the Maker boy, was it another dream?"

Sandal didn't answer, not yet. His breathing was frantic, his eyes wide, his body drenched from sweat. He could still feel the flames upon his skin and the smell of burning flesh in the air. It was always the same. The dream differed slightly most times, yet it always ended the same. The huge ball of fire burning him to a crisp while he screamed at the pain. However, he could never find the way to really explain the dream to his father. As always, the words and the comprehension always evaded him. He could only share a few words before the frustration got to much and he retreated again into his mind. There, he didn't need words, only the pictures of his memories and the imaginary places he liked.

"Scary Lady. Tower. Fire." he finally breathed out during shudders.

"Shhh... It's alright, Sandal. Father is here." Clinging to his son in their now shared room, Bodahn felt at a loss to try and help his son. He moved his boy into his own room when the nightmares started getting really bad a few weeks ago. The boy usually only had really bad ones once every few months, yet they never seemed as bad as they appeared to be now. His son would often not return to sleep for the rest of the night, and the stress was taking a toll on both of them.

Ever since what happened with Lady Hawke however, Sandal's nightmares have been getting worse and worse. He comes awake screaming, unable to catch his breath, and often burning to the touch. Bodahn had started asking local potion makers if they knew of anything that could help his boy sleep, yet nothing seemed to work. Some would help him fall asleep quicker, but the nightmares still came. He would of normally sought magical help, but with the mage Anders gone, Bodahn didn't trust those down at the Gallows to care for his son and not kill him thinking he was possessed or something. So each night he gave his son a sleeping aid and hoped that maybe this night his son would able to rest freely.

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* * *

"I don't know, you think they are still awake? It's fairly late." Aveline stated as they climbed the steps into Hightown.

"No. We need answers now. If the dwarf can give us some answers, I want them _now_." Fenris growled with his usual scowl on his face.

"Easy there, Broody. They are not our enemies, and we don't want to scare the boy into not talking to us."

Fenris just glared at Varric as they came upon the door to the Hawke estate. He knew the dwarf was right, but that still didn't stop the screaming urge to do whatever was necessary to help his Hawke. Fenris didn't care if he brought all of Thedas crashing down, he **would** bring his love back to him.

"Perhaps Fenris should wait out-"

"No! If there is news or a clue to be known, I will know it with the rest of you. I will contain myself for Hawke, but I will not be left out of this."

Isabella just shrugged her shoulders, knowing that probably not even the Maker himself could keep Fenris from seeing this through. "Alright, but try not to be _too_ broody in there, please? And for Maker's sake, let us do the talking!" Sighing softly, Isabella turned away from the elf and knocked on the thick wooden door in front of her. For a few moments, nothing could be heard, and they all wondered if perhaps they arrived too late and the two servants have already went to bed. Again, Isabella knocked, louder this time, yet there was still no answer.

"_Fasta Vass! _Enough of this!" Fenris growled before disappearing around the corner. The remaining companions looked at each other with a mixture of confusion and shock, not knowing what to do. After about a minute, however, they heard the door in front of them unlock and open, revealing the glowing elf.

"I don't want to know. Just don't make it a habit..." replied Aveline as they passed by him.

"Hey, I do! This could be a great way to sneak in and cuddle up to Hawke while she is sleeping! I heard she sleeps naked..." Isabella ignored the dark glares she got as she laughed to herself.

"That is precisely **why** you shall never know, whore." retorted Fenris, knowing full well that Isabella would try to take advantage of the open balcony door he climbed up to. Resisting the urge to smile at her pout, he and the rest of the troupe walked into the main hall after Fenris closed and re-locked the main door.

"Hey Bodahn! You better be home!" Varric called out down the hall that led to the servants rooms.

A second later they heard a door opening and soft curses getting closer as the house servant approached them, looking shocked, annoyed, and even a bit fearful as he eyed the large group of heavily armed persons in the main room.

"By the Maker! What is all this? How did you all get in here? What is going on?"

"Slow down, Bodahn. Yes, we technically broke in, but we have good reason, and it couldn't wait till morning."

"Guard Captain? What is going on here?"

"The boy, Sandal, where is he?" Fenris growled with an absolute feral look to him.

"Father. I go now."

All heads turned to see the boy Sandal quietly enter the room with what looked like a small rucksack tied to his back.

"Sandal? I don't understand." Bodahn just looked at his son, completely confused by the whole situation. Yet once more he saw that strange look in his eyes from when Lady Hawke was injured. Sandal looked back at his father with a sad look in his eyes before going over to the tall, menacing elf.

"I go. Help Pretty Lady. Go tower."

Everyone's mouth gaped open at the boy's simple statement. _Go with them? Was the boy insane? Go where? To what tower?_

"Sandal, I don't understand. Where are you going?" Bodahn pleaded with his son, fighting back the tears in his eyes. Sandal turned and gave his father one of perfect smiles, his eyes sparkling with happiness... and purpose?

Giving his father a hug, Sandal again approached the stunned travellers, his grin never fully leaving his face.

"I go. With you."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"No."

"No way."

"I don't think so, kid."

"That's not a good idea."

All together, their voice melted together, emphasizing their combined opinion. Yet, the boy just kept smiling at them like he didn't even hear them.

Silence.

It was if they all stood at an impasse, and no one spoke for what seemed like an eternity. The entire time Sandal just kept smiling up at them, as if he had no clue what he just asked of them.

"Ehh, pardon for my interruption, but as much as it pains me to say this, I don't think you can win this one, my friends." Bodahn took a deep breath before continuing, trying to find the words that would help explain what he had come to learn about his son.

"We are not taking a child with us, dwarf!"

"Just hear me out, Messere. You see my boy here, well, he's got quite the mind in him, even if it doesn't seem like it most times. Once he get's his mind set on something, only the Maker could possibly stop him. It was my boy's idea to follow the Hero of Ferelden back when we first met her, even though I thought it was far too dangerous. Yet I knew that if I didn't travel with him back to Lothering to join up with her, my boy would of gone himself. He rarely ever gets so stubborn on something, but when he does, he will find a way to follow what he thinks is right.

"Flames."

"Double that. Are you saying that this kid is going to follow us no matter what we say? Can't you tie him up or something?" Isabella asked, even though she knew the answer. It wouldn't of been the first time she had come across such stubbornness. However, it was always in things trying to kill _her_, like giant spiders or Darkspawn. Those buggers never gave up unless you killed them.

And well, she didn't think killing the kid would go over well, even with her companions.

"I'm afraid not, Messere. Once I tried to leave him in Denerim with Warden Mahariel for a few weeks while I traveled with a group to open trade among a Dalish group that passed close by. The land was still fairly dangerous with wandering Darkspawn and other creatures and I thought it best if he stay behind, afterall I wouldn't of been gone long. By the second night he caught up with us, covered in blood, yet none of it was his own. He never said what happened, only that he wanted to go with me. The Warden didn't even know he left the castle, and neither did any of the servants!"

"I go. Help Pretty Lady."

A collective sigh went across the room as they each tried to come to terms with this new turn of events.

"Does he even know where to go? I mean, he talked about going to a tower, but that isn't much to go on."

Sandal smiled at Varric before taking off his pack and rummaging through it until he pulled out a map of the area around Kirkwall. Opening it up, he stared intently at it for a moment before his face once again lit up in a smile. Walking over to the other dwarf, he pointed proudly at the map, showing Varric where he thought they should go.

"Where is he pointing Varric?" asked Aveline, still not entirely convinced that they should take the child with them. She also knew she was most likely not the only who had their doubts about this whole situation.

"Well, it turns out Broody may have been right after all. The kid here is pointing to a location north of the Bone Pit."

"Are you sure we can't just lock him in a room somewhere?" growled Fenris as he looked at the dwarf child. He really did not feel like being responsible for this child, despite the _talents_ the boy seemed to have when it came to defending himself.

"Did I forget to mention that room that he was in when I left for the Dalish was guarded by one of Warden Mahariel's captains, and the only window stood several stories off the ground?"

_Great... _

_Just great... _

_Maker perserve us._

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* * *

"_Ooomph_!"

"Welcome to your new home, malificar. We heard all about you, so we made sure to make this room _especially_ for you. No escaping from this, dog."

The faceless templar laughed as he threw the bloodied and bruised mage into the corner of the cell. It smelled of rancid decay, feces, and death. Yet with his broken nose, it would probably be a while before the smell fully assaulted his senses.

_I deserve this._

Unable to really talk anymore after his _interrogation_ with the Knight Commander and her knights, all he could do was groan as flipped himself painfully onto his back.

_I deserve this._

He had no idea how long it had been since he was brought here. For days - _or was it months?_ - he was kept, strapped to a chair in a room much like this one. Or he hung from the ceiling from shackles that left his hands barely functioning. After a while, he guessed Meredith finally tired of trying to get the answers she wanted out of him. This may be his fault, but _he would not lie_. No, she deserved better than to be thought to be tainted by blood magick. Despite Orsino's protection, they would most likely kill her... _again_.

_I deserve this._

That had been his mantra during the endless hours of interrogation, as well as the long hours he was left alone, broken and in pain.

Once, he tried to use magick to try an heal some of the damage that was done to him. Yet his effort was repaid by strong electric currents blasting through his body.

_Damnable collar. To the void with it and the Qunari._

Everything hurt. **Everything**. Unable anymore to separate the different pains of the bruises, the stabs, the slices, and the broken bones, it all just melded together into one throbbing agony that premeditated his whole being.

_I deserve this._

_I deserve this._

_I deserve this._

_I'm so sorry, Hawke._

_Please, forgive me._


	7. The Tower

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Thank you all so much for the reviews! They make me all happy and smiley and other fluffy stuff! lol Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review. It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

Five days. Five blasted days! It has been five days since they left Kirkwall. Trudging through mud and swamp, with unrelenting rain pouring down on them since they left. Their only reprieve was when they came across some cave or tunnel they had to go through. Yet he would walk through the core of all the Darkspawn nests in order to bring her back to him. If only he didn't have to deal with these Maker-forsaken whiny "friends" of his.

Fenris was starting to like the - mostly silent - child dwarf more and more as he was one of the only ones who didn't feel the need to constantly find _something_ to complain about.

"Will this rain ever let up? By the Ancestors! I'm close to drowning here!"

"Oh, Varric, it's not that bad. What I hate was that swamp we had to pass through yesterday. I ruined a very good - and _very_ expensive I might add - pair of Antivan leather boots!"

"Oh will both of you just shut up!" Aveline shouted behind her. She and Fenris tended to take the lead, mostly because they both seemed to understand the concept of silence. Behind them were Sandal and Isabella, and picking up the rear was Varric and Merrill. Only when they went through caves did Isabella take point, being able to notice and disarm any traps better than either Aveline or Fenris could. She was also not that bad at melee combat if it came to it, something which Varric wasn't seeing as almost _always_ used that crossbow of his.

According to the map that Sandal held in his pack, they were still another day from when they would reach the tower that the boy claimed lay beyond the Bone Pit. Thankfully, most of dragons were gone from the pit from the last time they cleared it out. However, there were still plenty of bandits, spiders, and even a bloodmage who unfortunately crossed their path as they travelled up this wretched mountain. Though, if they travelled all the way here and there was no tower, Maker help that boy. Child or no, with his mood over the past few days he was likely to shred that boy to pieces for leading them so far out of their way when they needed to help Hawke.

They had checked in on her before they left the estate, resulting in having to calm down the chantry sister who took care of Hawke and explain what they were doing there so late. The sister told them that although Orsino came daily to try and heal her body, Hawke looked like she was getting weaker and weaker, mostly because it was difficult to properly feed her while being completely unconscious. When Fenris leaned over to kiss her forehead and whisper his love to her as he normally did when he visited her, he was surprised at how much paler she appeared since the day before. Her cheeks looked less full, and her eyes more sunken. They were running out of time to save his precious Iris, and he would not suffer anyone - friend, official, or even child - to delay her recovery anymore than necessary.

"Can we stop for a midday break? We have been walking for hours!" Merrill squeaked out from somewhere behind him. Fenris wanted to just tell her to suck it up, that Hawke's life was more valuable than her tired feet. Yet before he could say anything, Aveline cut him off, granting the bloodmage her request - much to Fenris' annoyance and the joy of the rest of the companions.

Finding a small clearing off to the side, the party pulled up rocks to sit on rather than the moist grass. All except Fenris and Sandal, who went to stand next to the brooding elf as he stood with his arms crossed, as he looked further up the path.

Again, Fenris felt a slight tugging of his gauntlet and looked down to see the boy looking up at him with those wide brown eyes.

"What do you want, child? I am not in mood to speak."

Instead of answering, Sandal pointed to the map in his hand, indicating the same rough area he had previously told them all where this tower lies.

"Yes, that is where we are heading. It is where you are guiding us, afterall. Or have you changed your mind?" The annoyance in his voice was thick with anger. Yet not once since they left Kirkwall had the boy ever shied away from him. Many times the elf had lost his temper due to various annoyances encountered throughout their journey, and when there was no enemies to kill, he simply yelled and punched inanimate objects. Certainly enough to make even his companions weary of his volatile mood. Yet this small dwarven boy rarely left his side. Even to the point of insisting on sleeping near him when they finally camped for the night.

"Tower, down there." The voice was smaller than it had been before. The boy probably feeling the general weariness that seemed to engulf the whole party as of late. Pointing towards the edge of the path to the side of them, where a sharp drop off to the ground floor existed.

"I think he means that the tower, if it is there at all, is at the base of the mountain. If he's right, we might even make it there before tomorrow afternoon if we're lucky."

Sandal looked up and beamed at the guard captain, again pointing off in the same direction.

"If we travel all night, we could be there before morning." Fenris added, a tiny bit of hope finally breaking through his hard voice. Yet he could already hear his companions begin with their objections. Blast it all, he had suffered worse while running from his former masters, let alone when he actually served them! What was a few hours more if they could reach this fabled tower sooner?

"I agree." Aveline stated, causing a look of shock from everyone, including Fenris. He didn't think anyone of them would agree with what he suggested.

"Oh come on, Aveline! I'm _tired_. Can't we just camp here for the night? Sure, it's early, but with the trees here we at least got a bit of shelter from all this stupid rain!"

"Isabella!" Aveline warned with the tone she usually reserved for dealing with the insolent pirate.

"Oh come on, Rivaini! I am sure that in such an old tower, there should be plenty of treasure and other shiny things to keep you busy for weeks!"

"You used that line on me yesterday when I refused to get up so flaming early in the morning."

"Oops. Well, it's still true!... I think..."

"You're not helping, Varric. Besides, all you have to do is threaten to tell all of Lowtown what her secret admirer wrote her."

"You wouldn't!" Isabella glared murderously at Aveline.

"You bet I would. I would even get my guards to distribute copies. So move your ass, you wonderful _heartworm_ you..."

"Oh this has got to be good. Come on Red, I need details!"

"What's a heartworm?"

"Never you mind, kitten." Isabella replied to Merrill before lowering a glare upon Aveline. "Fine, we'll go. But I want any copies you have returned to me once we get back to Kirkwall."

"Not making any promises, pirate. Now move it before we annoy Fenris enough where he just _throws_ us down the mountain to save himself the trouble."

"Please don't give Broody ideas, Red. I am sure he is just one joke away from killing us all as it is."

"Well, if we're moving again, I can help us pass the time by telling you the story of when Mythal and June angered Andruil so much that she banished a whole town of craftsmen to the Beyond! And it wasn't even that serious of an offence. It was all because -"

"Daisy?"

"Yes Varric?"

"You see how our favorite brooding elf seems to be glowing _more _than usual?"

"Why yes, he does seem a bit more _glow-y_ than normal."

"That means right now is probably not the _best_ time for story time."

"Oh. Alright then."

"Good girl."

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"It's massive!"

They all stood in awe of the huge tower in front of them. It wasn't just tall, but it seemed to attached to an old collapsing fortress. Easily as tall as the Gallows, it somehow managed to look even more menacing.

"Scary lady..." Sandal whispered, his tiny body trembling as he tried to huddle against Fenris. Strangely, Fenris didn't even react, growing accustomed to the dwarf child seeking him out whenever the boy was frightened or needing comfort of some kind. Not that Fenris knew how to comfort the boy, but it seemed even allowing the dwarf near him tended to calm him down.

"There is bad magick in there. Evil spirits and other dark things."

"And that's one of the reasons we love having you around, Daisy. Always so cheerful." Varric replied sarcastically as he again inspected his Bianca for any damage that would prove deadly in any upcoming fight. Thankfully, his baby was still as perfect as ever.

"Enough of the banter. We need to find a way inside, and how to handle the fighting in such tight quarters." Snapped Fenris as he removed his large two-handed blade and inspected it for any wears or faults as Varric has just done to his own weapon.

"I suggest we take a page from Varric and Fenris, and inspect our weapons. It has been a long road, and who knows what we face in that thing." added Aveline. One by one the party removed their weapons from their holsters and inspected them carefully.

"Oh drat! I lost my fire enchantment! It must of fell off when we fought that blasted Tal-Vashoth mercenary we ran into the other day. Bloody Qunari and their stupid horns!"

Suddenly, Sandal was at her side, a wide grin on his face as he held out his hands. "Enchantment?"

"He does do a pretty good job at enchanting things, Isabella. Perhaps have him take a look." Aveline stated as she took out a small whetstone and performed a few quick strokes down the blade of her hand-axe.

Eyeing the small dwarf for a moment, Isabella reluctantly handed over one of her two favorite daggers. They were a matching set that were a gift from Hawke a few months back on her birthday. That sly woman had even managed to get them perfectly weighted for her hands, with enough decoration to make them a bit girlish, yet not taking away from their lethality.

_She knows me so well_.

"Damage it dwarf and I'll use you for my new pincushion."

"You will not harm the dwarf!" Fenris snarled, causing surprised looks from everyone, including Sandal. "Ah, we still need him. Besides, Hawke would be upset if anything happened to the boy." A slight blush rose to his cheeks, eliciting a string of whispered Arcanum curses under his breath.

Knowing smiles were passed around as Sandal reached into his pack and took out a small enchantment stone and placed it carefully within the blade handle.

"Enchantment! Boom!" Sandal gleefully replied as he handed the blade back to Isabella.

"Okay then. I have no idea what your mumbling about, but I guess we'll see next time we are attacked, won't we?"

"Is everyone ready? I have no idea what we'll face in there, so I suggest that Fenris goes in first with Isabella and Merrill, while myself, Varric, and the boy follow a few feet behind."

"The boy comes with me."

Aveline looked over at Fenris, trying to figure out this new fondness for the child that her normally venomous companion had developed. "Fine, you take the boy, we'll take Merrill. But he stays _behind_ you at all times. I don't want to return to Bodahn with vacant excuses as to why his boy is no longer with us. Understand me?"

"Perfectly."

"Alright then, gather your gear all of you. In a few minutes, we're assaulting a tower."

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Mist swirled around the floor, obscuring everything under his feet as he crossed over to the window. He could sense them down there; their fear and determination mixing together like a fine wine. A slow smile spread across his lips as imagined what they would taste like.

"They are not for you." The woman stated from the doorway. She had pure white hair, and was dressed in a pitch black dress. With her arms crossed over her chest, her long claw-like fingernails stood out predominately next to her pale skin.

"I know our bargain, witch. I leave them untouched for the chance at leaving this damnable tower." The low rumble of his voice seemed almost inhumane, filling the air like a something tangible instead of just sound waves.

"And you will help them, monster. I need _her_. Without the rest unharmed, she will never do what needs to be done. I have worked long and hard to get to this moment, and if it weren't for that one blasted fool, things would already of been set into motion."

"You ask much of me, witch."

"And isn't freedom worth it, monster? You have been trapped her for so long. Don't you miss it?"

The hooded man at the window only sighed, remembering back to when he was free to roam this land. When he had power and strength, and was able to drive his enemies running in fear.

"And are you sure they will agree to our terms?"

"Not ours, _yours._ All I want is the woman. It is _you_ who set the price."

"Enough of your games, witch! For too long I have let those who imprisoned me here roam free!" His voiced boomed, echoing off the walls, swirling around like a gust of wind that caused the mist at his feet to scatter temporarily and the woman's hair to flutter.

"I care not for you vengeance, monster. As I said, my only concern is the woman. It is mere coincidence that her release will also lead to yours. If I could release her without you, I would. But it seems fate has different plans. Now, you know what you have to do."

"Leave me, witch! I have had enough of your blithering."

"Just remember monster, _do not_ screw this up. More than your own freedom rests on this. And if you fail, be assured that not even the Fade will be able to hide you from _my_ vengeance."

With those final words, the woman morphed into a raven and flew from the room out into the night.

_Stupid woman. She thinks she is freeing just another monster on the world. Yet when I am free I will consume her precious pawns down below and her 'woman'. Their lives will grant me the power to seek out the first of my enemies and slaughter them wherever they hide. And when my vengeance is complete, I shall have enough power to even challenge even you, fair witch. And with your essence within me, nothing shall ever stop me again!_


	8. A Bargain Made

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Okay, this chapter has some nasty stuff in it, but it plays into something Hawke said to Fenris way back in Chapter Two - "A Slave and a Goddess". Have you been wondering about the comment she made about being forced to do things she found "distasteful"? Well, here's your chance to see what she meant by that. But I warn you, it's aint pretty. If you would rather skip by that, just ignore the large sections of text that are in [_italics_]. This chapter is **definitely** gonna be rated **M** because of what happens to Hawke too. However, if your curiosity gets the better of you, don't say I didn't warn you. Just keep reading, and maybe have a box of tissues at hand, or something you can spend you anger on.

With that, I do hope you all are enjoying my story. This chapter did prove to be rather hard to write, so that is the reason for the small delay. However, during that time I did manage to put up several chapters of my other story, Vhenan'ara. So go take a look if your interested.

Again, thank you for all the reviews. They really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review. It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

"Flames! There is no end to them!" Aveline cried out as yet another wave of demons and undead began their assault on the group.

Sandal hid crouched in a corner with Fenris and Isabella in front of him, killing anything that came too close. Again, another walking undead exploded followed by Isabella's happy war cry.

The enchantment Sandal placed in the hilt of one of daggers seemed to make undead explode if they were low enough of health. Something that the young pirate loved doing and tried to do as much as possible. Which not only helped keep the numbers in their favor, but also was quite entertaining.

"Oh Sandal love, if you were old enough I would kiss you! I love this new enchantment!" Isabella laughed as she landed a particular nasty critical hit on a axe-weilding skeleton, causing it to implode on itself.

"Stay focused Ravaini! As much as I love seeing these asshole's explode at your expert touch, as our dear captain said, there doesn't seem to be any lessening the various things trying to kill us!"

"Agreed. And Isabella?" Fenris asked as he cut down another Rage Demon with his long, double-handed great sword.

"Yes, love?"

"Don't make me agree with Varric again."

Isabella laughed as she shot forward, spinning around with both her daggers out, cutting through as least a dozen enemies before stopping at the opposite side of the room with a grin and a wink towards the broody elf.

"That move seems familiar. Something Hawke taught you, I imagine?" asked Aveline with a heavy breath as she knocked a skeleton down with her shield.

"You bet your short and curlies, madam man-hands. Something she shared after a _long_ night of heavy breathing and wandering hands. I think I got her scream louder than you did,_ lover boy_." Isabella replied with wink towards Fenris.

Suddenly Fenris started glowing all over and a dark and sinister look descended upon his face. Within moment, the rest of the undead and demons inside of the room they were in lie dead as Fenris ghosted back and forth, slicing each of them with pure precision and power. When he got to Isabella, Fenris reached out and grabbed the pirate by the throat and slammed her non too gently against the wall behind her.

"You did **no such thing**!" Fenris growled, barely containing himself and keeping himself from killing the female pirate.

"You're right, we didn't. We spent the night playing cards, and although she did and curse a lot, I assure you it was _not_ because she was happy."

"Then why risk your life, sea wench?" He asked, still holding tightly to her throat with his glowing hand.

"Look around, lover boy. I figured it must have been an _'all or nothing'_ case with these bastards. And look, they're all_ dead _now!" Isabella smiled unrepentingly at the elf who could easily end her life with barely a breath lost.

"Do **not** tempt me like that again, or next time **I will ****_kill_**** you**!" Fenris roared before releasing the woman before returning his blade to his back and continuing through the dilapidated castle that lead to the tower.

"Wow Rivaini, I knew you were _crazy_, but damn! Pissing off Broody is not what I call a great idea at any time. You're lucky you still have your heart _inside_ your chest after that stunt." Varric replied as he walked over to where Isabella stood rubbing her neck by the wall.

"Well, it may not have been my brightest idea, but it worked. Bad guys, dead, or rather _dead again_, while we are still breathing."

"Keep this up Isabella and I am not sure even the threat of upsetting Hawke will be enough to keep Fenris from killing you. There are just some things that elf just doesn't deal well with, Hawke being one of them." Aveline stated coldly, unsure if that would be an entirely bad thing sometimes. "Now let's get moving before our deadly elven friend gets too far ahead."

"Sandal, are you alright?" Merrill asked the boy crouching down to where he stayed huddled against the wall.

"Y-yes."

"Good. Lets go." Stated Aveline before shifting her axe back to its sheath on her back and following after Fenris with the rest of group behind her.

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_****Somewhere in the Fade****_

_Hawke and her family were getting ready to leave the Chantry after that's service. As usual, it bored the living tears out of her, however she was still grateful for being with her family. While laughing at something her brother Carver said, Hawke suddenly felt a heavy and armored hand drop down on her shoulder._

_"Ser Mavrick! It's good to see you again!" Hawke's father Malcolm joyously greeted the templar knight who had his hand on Hawke's shoulder. Even with her father's upbeat greeting, Hawke didn't like Ser Mavrick. Intuitively, she knew what the knight was going to ask, yet was unable to speak or even move._

_"Hello again Ser Hawke. I am sorry to interrupt you, but if you don't mind, I would like to speak with your daughter, Isis for just a brief moment."_

_"Is there a problem, Ser Knight?" Leandra asked in concern. Normally, Isis Hawke was well-behaved and rarely in trouble. It was usually the younger two twins who brought the local guards or knights to their doorstep with tales of 'someone' placing itching weeds in the Revered Mother's bed, or opening the gate to Farmer Samual's chicken roost so all the chickens ran loose around town. If anything, Isis acted like another mother to her younger siblings, always trying to drag them out of whatever mischief that happened to be in at the moment._

_"No, miss. Not at all. It's just young Isis here forgot something during our last sparing match. I would only see it returned to her, as well as a good lecture on not forgetting one's belongings."_

_Isis could have sworn her heart stood still as she heard the knight speak, knowing for certain that she didn't forget anything. Isis could already feel the bile rise in her throat as she thought of what her and the knight really did during their last "sparring match". Glancing up her mother, Isis prayed her mother would send the knight away, tell him that she would get whatever she left behind the next time she and the knight "sparred"._

_However, her mother thought her daughter's pleading look was about the lecture the knight said he would deliver. Sighing like only a mother can who has a disobedient child, she turned to the knight and said the words that Isis dreaded._

_"Of course you can, Ser Knight. I do not know what has gotten into the girl lately. Coming home late from studies, getting lost in her own mind and forgetting things... She has even started mouthing off and acting right surely to her father and I." The knight chuckled softly as Isis felt his hand grip her shoulder tighter._

_"Oh miss, this is your first teenager, am I right? If I am not correct, young Isis here just turned 13, did she not? Teenagers can be like that, it seems. I have none of my own, but I have trained many in my life. And it seems right around this age that they start acting out. It's all a part of growing up, I'm afraid."_

_"You are right, of course Ser Knight. Come love, don't you remember yourself at that age?" Malcolm laughed as he wrapped his arm around his wife. "Go ahead, Ser Mavrick. Keep her as long as you like. Isis must learn to take her studies with you more seriously."_

_Ser Mavrick grinned widely as he and her parents spoke for a few moments more before her family walked off towards the home. Isis wanted to run to them, to stop what she knew what about to happen. Her heart fell when her father told the knight he could keep her as long as he wanted. Undoubtedly, her father would have said something wholly different if he or her mother knew the truth. _

_"Now, now, girl. It will not be that bad." The knight stated as he watched a tear roll down Isis's cheek. "After last time, you seemed to have loosened up a bit more. Besides, you don't want mommy and daddy dearest to have to deal with their youngest daughter being claimed by the circle, do you? You remember our deal, do you not?"_

_"Y-yes ser."_

_"That's a good girl. I am sure it would break your mother's heart to have dear Bethany whisked away and locked up, never to be seen again. Now then, let us continue our lessons from last time. You were just starting to get better with that pretty mouth of yours." replied the knight casually, as if what he was about to do her really was nothing at all. Inwardly, Isis could feel her stomach wretch from the memory of the previous time, when he forced her mouth open and made her swallow his filth. _

_Silently, as the knight drew her back into the Chantry and towards the templar rooms, young Isis prayed to the Maker to make all this stop. To find a way for her sister to be safe without Isis sacrificing herself like this._

_But as always, the Maker was silent to her cries._

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Entering into a large, round room, the party held out their weapons, ready for another wave of attackers. It seemed they couldn't go from one room to the next without being attacked by some form of evil or another. Even Darkspawn roamed the halls of this once proud castle.

Everywhere, damage and debris scattered the floor in the rooms and halls they came cross. The tapestries and pictures long faded and filled with tears and holes, books left to rot on shelves or on the floor in piles. The entire place smelled of death and fear, and even a guard captain such as Aveline could tell that the veil between this world and the Fade was thin. The feeling sent shivers down their spines, and made young Sandal go nowhere without tightly gripping a piece of Fenris' armor. At first, the elf seemed annoyed, yet if he still felt that way after the past hour of fighting all manners of deadly foes, he no longer showed it. When enemies did show themselves, Sandal often ran to a corner to hide while Fenris always took up a position of defence of the young dwarf until every last enemy lay defeated before them.

Yet in this room, there didn't seem to be anything threatening. No demons or Darkspawn, no undead skeletons or ghouls. And yet the feeling of danger persisted like an invisible heavy blanket, choking them from its oppressive weight.

"I don't get it. Where's all the baddies? Don't tell me we killed everything."

"Shut it Isabella before you _summon_ something here with your questioning." Aveline sharply stated as they slowly made their way across the large room.

**"Don't you know that it is rude to enter someone's home without an invitation?"**

The companions looked about them, turning in circles while they tried to find the source of the deep male voice.

"I hate it when you're right, Aveline."

"Right now, so do I."

A dark mist suddenly appeared in the center of the room, twisting upwards almost to the ceiling before dissipating, revealing a tall man, dressed in a pitch black cloak and hood. His face completely obscured by the hood, not even his eyes could be seen.

"Who are you?" Fenris growled as he readied his long sword.

**"I am he who used to wander these halls back when they were new and clean. This place is my home; a home that you lot have rudely trampled your way through. The ruckus you and your companions have made could very well ****_wake the dead_****!"**

The man laughed heartily as two more undead skeletons appeared beside him, one on each side.

"You are no spirit. Yet you are not human. I think the better question is, _what are you_?" Merrill stated as she pointed the end of the her staff towards the creature.

**"Such an interesting group she gives me. A human, a thief, a slave, a bloodmage, a surface dwarf and... Hmmm... What have we here?"**

The hooded man asked as he turned towards Sandal. **"You are not like the others. She didn't say ****_you_**** would be here with the rest of them. ****_Interesting_****."**

"Leave the child out of this, monster. We have business here in this tower. Business that most certainly includes you, I imagine." Fenris coldly stated without easing the position of his blade.

**"Could it be that you do not even know what you travel with?"**

The hooded man laughed heartily as he spoke to the group, while not taking his attention away from the child dwarf. **"Tell me, young one. Do ****_you_**** even know what lies within you? Doubtful. But I suppose it is no matter. I somehow do not think this group of misfit adventurers came here on your account, ****_Abatu_****."**

"You're right. We were told you knew how to bring someone's soul back from the Fade." Aveline stated, stepping between the creature and the small dwarf, causing the creature to laugh again.

**"Look at how they try to protect you, ****_Abatu_****. Such courage for creatures who lives are so short. Was coming here your idea, ****_Abatu_****? Do you even remember your own life?"**The man laughed before taking in the other companions in the room in turn. **"No matter. Bring someone back from the Fade you say? Hmmm, yes I think I may know something."**

"Then tell us, creature, before I lose my patience." barked Fenris, his skin lightly glowing again as he spoke.

**"Hmm... Interesting. The slave has part of ****_Myva Vynra_**** within him. Now, that could be useful."**

"I am **not** your slave, demon!"

**"A fiery one too. Yes, he'll do nicely."**

"Fenris! Hold yourself together!" Aveline shouted as the marks of lyrium that covered Fenris' body glowed so brightly, it was hard to even see the elf through the bright light that covered him.

**"Yes, do be a good slave and heed the command of your betters." **The creature sounded as if he enjoyed tormenting him as he laughed while Fenris leaped forward and started slashing at the hooded man. However, no matter how quick he ghosted or how deadly his attacks were, the creature just laughed harder as he dodged easily every one of Fenris' heated attacks.

"Fenris! Stop this! Remember why we are here! Remember Hawke!" Merrill yelled at him from beside Aveline. It was prehaps the mention of the woman he loved, or the simple fact that the creature seemed to be unable to be hit with how easily and effortlessly it glided around the circular room. In either case, Fenris lowered his sword as he tried to catch his breath, but kept his hate-filled glare fixed on the creature in front of him.

**"So you do listen. Good. That will help."**

The hooded man then shifted his gaze over to Merrill, silently gliding over to where she stood. Merrill tried to stand strong and hide her fear of this new creature, yet she could still feel her body tremble lightly as she felt the evil that dripped from his very being. **"So, what is it that you have invaded my home for? Surely no mere bird could convince you all to travel from the safety of your homes to my dreary tower."**

"Hawke is not a bird, but our friend. Her body lives, yet her soul is lost in the Fade. We heard that you could help us return her to as she was." answered Aveline stepping forward and motioning Merrill behind her. The small action seemed to elicit another round of laugher from the hooded creature.

**"A soul lost to the Fade, you say. Well, that is no mere task that you ask."**

The creature then disappeared, leaving only the swirling mist from before. Yet the mist seemed to move as if it had a mind of its own, dancing before them in elaborate patterns. **"Tell me, what would you give in return, hmm? Surely you must have known that what you ask carries a price on it." **The voice was all around them now, filling the whole room that they were in. **"So, what will it be? A broken people's history lost forever? What little you have found suddenly gone with no answers?"** The mist circled around Merrill, tendrils caressing her elven skin. **"Tell me, how much is your people's history worth to you, bloodmage? Would you give it all up for your friend?"**

Again, the voice laughed as the mist left Merrill and encircled Aveline. **"You, a guard's captain, in love with another guard. Didn't you learn the first time? Would you place another knife in your new love's chest to save your friend's life? A life for a life?"**

This time it went after Isabella, wrapping around her like a lover. **"Your loyalties are easily swayed, aren't they pirate? But I know who you ****_truly_**** fear. Would you face down those you stole from? Would you face their judgment proudly, without running if it meant your friend returned to full life?"**

**"You thrive on your ****_tales_****, on your abilities to turn an event into something grand and worth retelling. Would you sacrifice your muse and your notoriety to free your friend from the Fade? Could you live knowing you could never write or be known by another again?" **The mist was swirling around Varric now, latching around him and Bianca before moving on.

**"And you, ****_Abatu_****. Would you enter the dark again? Would you give up your light to save your 'Pretty Lady'?" **The voice asked as the mist seemed the swallow Sandal for a moment before leaving him shaking and sticky with sweat.

**"Oh, I know you slave..." **The voice stated with satisfaction. **"Would you submit yourself to Denarius again? Would you give up your freedom to restore the freedom of the woman you love? I am sure you still remember the beatings, the lashings, the... ****_other_**** things your master did to entertain himself and his guests. Would you willingly return to that for ****_her_****?"** The mist stroked and flowed over the lines of lyrium that flowed along Fenris' skin. Fenris' eyes grew wide as he remembered all the time he had spent with under his _master_'s hand. Nearly buckling over in pain from the memories, the voice laughed as it left Fenris gasping for breath.

**"I know all of your hidden fears and nightmares. They lay before me like scattered cards, showing me everything you think you can hide deep within yourselves." **The mist swirled and danced again around the room, growing and shrinking like it danced to some inaudible tune.

"What is it you want from us, demon?" Fenris asked, from his place by the far wall. His voice rough, like he had to concentrate hard just to form the words. Suddenly the mist in the room coalesced into the solid form of the hooded creature in the center of the room.

**"That ****_is_**** the question, isn't it? You all say you want this one woman's life returned to her. But is that truly what you ****_desire_****? What would you give up in order for your dear Hawke to be as she once was? Nothing in this world is free, and I think I shall enjoy watching you all antagonize over which of you will sacrifice everything you hold dear to save the woman you have come to care for so much. When your decision is made, I will be at the top of my tower, waiting for you."**

Again, the hooded man disappeared into mist. The creature's laughter echoing off the walls of the room they were in, seeming to take great delight in the unthinkable choice he levied onto Hawke's friends.

**"Oh, and try not to take too long. From what I understand, your dear Hawke doesn't have much time before her body expires. It seems that a body can only survive so long without its soul."**

And then the mist and the laughter were gone, fading away into the walls that surrounded them. All the companions looked at each other, the creature's "bargain" resting heavily in each of their minds.

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* * *

_****Somewhere in the Fade****_

_"Do not act so innocent girl! I know with your beauty, you must be doing this for boys all around town! Now open that damn mouth!" Ser Mavrick barked as he cuffed Isis' face before again trusting himself inside her trembling mouth. "Yes, that's better! Good girl. After all, you want me ready for when I press again against your delicious feminine core, do you not?" _

_Isis tried hard not to gag on the taste of his last climax as she felt his member grow hard again in her mouth. Again, she cried silent tears, wishing she were somewhere - anywhere - away from the small room she was in. _


	9. Trials and Magic

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Again, thank you for all the reviews. They really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review. It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

Each of Hawke's friends sat apart from each other, still in the large circular room. Heavy was the silence as each one dared not look at one another; each of them lost in their own thoughts.

_How could any of them choose something like that?_

"I'll do it."

Everyone looked up at the sound of the deep voice that spoke. Fenris leaned by a window that looked down upon the valley that lay below. Without moving, he again repeated his choice to submit himself to the creature's demands.

"Hell no, Broody! I may be a selfish asshole at times, but there is no way I'm about to send you back to that hell hole. I may not know much of the details, but I know enough that I wouldn't even send my worst enemy to those bastards in Tevinter."

"There is no other choice, Varric. The creature was right, Hawke doesn't have much time left." Fenris growled as he finally turned to face his friend. "Besides, I am... used to it." Fenris' face looked even more blanched than before as his mind wandered back for a moment to the tortures he endured as a slave. "Besides, if I am lucky, Denarius will wipe my memory again. I will not remember freedom, nor what occurred since I escaped. In truth, I will not lose much while you all have far too much to lose to this monster."

"No way are we about to let you do that, Fenris. Hawke would kill every one of us if she knew you went back to Tevinter in order to rescue her." replied Aveline.

"Then what would you have us do!? Are you willing to kill Donnic, Aveline? Are any of you willing to do what that monster asked? No! I will do this. I am partly responsible for Hawke being in this mess to begin with. I will not see her die while we all sit around and argue over who submits themselves to this monster!" Fenris' voice reverberated around the room, the fury and anger in his voice causing even the rats to scurry away into their holes.

"I don't see why we don't just beat on him until he helps us." Merrill whispered as she absently drew in the dust and grime by her feet. Instantly everyone turned and stared at the little mage, causing her to look up with a frightened look on her face. "Oh no! Did I say that out loud? I'm sorry, sometimes I do that, you see. I don't mean too, and even the Keeper told me that I should be more careful with what I say..."

"I like it. Good work, kitten." replied Isabella, standing up and sheathing her daggers.

"Wha-...?"

"Amazing. The bloodmage actually has a good idea for once."

"I don't understand. I was merely wondering why we had to choose anything..."

"And you're right, Daisy. I am surprised none of us saw it sooner. We were so lost in our own misery, we forgot what it is that we do best."

"And what would that be, Varric?" asked Aveline.

Varric looked up at the tall red-headed woman and shrugged before replying with a broad smile "Kill things."

Even Fenris couldn't hold back a laugh at that. Relieved for the moment of the impossible choice the creature gave them, they gathered up their weapons and tried to come up with a new plan of attack against their new foe.

"Fenris?" Sandal tentatively asked as he looked up at the elf.

"What?" replied Fenris, a bit more harsh than he intended.

"Here." Sandal smiled broadly as he gave Fenris what appeared to be another of his enchantment stones.

"What's this? My weapon still has its enchantment."

"Keep it Broody. Those little stones of his usually come in quite handy when we least expect it. Who knows what it's for, but knowing our kid here, its gotta be entertaining!"

"As long as it doesn't explode while in my pocket." Fenris grumbled as he placed the small stone inside a pocket under his chest piece. Varric was right in that the dwarven child had this ability to come up an enchantment that ends up saving their hides just when they need it.

Looking down at Sandal, Fenris smiled and fluffed his hair before setting off again deeper into the castle and into the tower.

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* * *

The next room they came across seemed to be some sort of puzzle room. Only three feet past the door, the floor suddenly dropped away into a large chasm of darkness. On the other side of the room stood the open doorway that led further on, and inbetween were shifting square stones no more than three feet by three feet. Up and down, back and forth, some moving ahead several feet before turning to go another direction or simply just disappearing into the blackness.

Silently, the group stared at this seeminly impossible obstacle.

"No way we can cross this."

"By the Ancestor's!"

"Oh dear... How do we... Oh no..."

"By the Maker! Just how are we supposed to cross this?"

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" Isabella cursed repeatedly before delivering the group a heated stare. "You all owe me. I expect not only a round of drinks, but my whole tab paid off when we get back the Hanged Man."

"What the blazes are you talking about, Isabella?" Aveline asked as Isabella pulled her daggers free from their sheaths and handed them to Varric.

"You harm my beauties dwarf, and I come after Bianca, deal?"

"What in the world? Rivaini, just what insane plan is going through that dirty mind of yours?"

"Trust me, Varric, you don't want to know. In fact, even _I_ don't want to know. But as you said, it's definitely_ insane_." replied Isabella as she stretched out her arms and legs and briefly before approaching the great chasm of shifting rocks.

"What the... Not flaming likely wench! Don't you dare attempt to-" Aveline was cut off by the sight of Isabella taking one last deep breath before jumping onto the closest rock. All of the remaining companions held their collective breath as they watched the lithe rogue jump from one rock to another.

"Remind me too... Throughly... Beat the... Crap... Out of... Hawke... For-.. Whoa!"

The combined gasp felt deafening in their ears as they watched Isabella fall down into the chasm as the rock she was about to jump on disappeared into the dark.

"Isabella!"

"Well, nice to see you all care so much!" laughed Isabella as she reappeared on a stone that was rising up from below. The party's collective sighs echoed as Isabella continued to jump back and forth, making her way slowly to the opposite side.

"You damnable wench! You better make it through this or by the Maker, I swear you'll regret it!" Aveline shouted, causing Isabella to laugh in response.

Four more treacherous jumps later, and Isabella finally made it to the opposite side. "See? No big deal!" she laughed as she caught her breath.

"Try to look for a switch or lever of some kind." Fenris yelled, his arms still crossed over his chest and familiar scowl on his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Hold onto your small-clothes... Let's see here..." Isabella called back as she started looking over the walls and on the floors. "Maybe this..."

_**Click**_

The stones along the center of the chasm all rose at once while the others disappeared below into the darkness.

"I'm brilliant, aren't I?"

"Uh.. How do we know it wont... Um, I don't know..." Merrill mumbled as they approached the edge of the chasm, eyeing the new bridge with doubt in her eyes.

"I'm sure it's fine Daisy... I think..."

"Oh please. Merrill, let me see your staff."

"My what? No!" Merrill quickly replied back to Aveline.

"Just for a minute!" stated Aveline before she quickly grabbed the piece of enchanted wood from the shocked elf. "Now, let's see here..." Cautiously, Aveline used the staff to press down one of the rocks in front of them.

"Hey! That's mine! You better not lose it, Aveline! It was a gift from Hawke!"

Satisfied that the rocks seemed stable enough, Aveline handed the staff back to the young mage, a sad look in her eyes.

"Most everything we have is a 'gift from Hawke'..."

"And that is why you lot need to move your asses so we can save our mutual benefactor, loan giver, drinking buddy, card hustler in training, shoulder to cry on, occasional lover, and all around lovely friend, Hawke." Fenris bristled at how Isabella described his Hawke, especially the part about the _occasional lover_.

"She is never going to let us forget about this. You know that right?" huffed Varric as they crossed the newly made bridge. When the group finally crossed the solid bridge, they each breathed out in relief that they actually made it across.

Slapping her hands together and grinning wildly, Isabella looked each of her companions in the eye before giving a sly wink. "Come on then! We have a princess to save!"

* * *

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* * *

Two rooms down. Who knows how many were left in this Maker-forsaken place! After the last room, most of the companions were ready to just start knocking down walls to avoid these blasted puzzles.

"We don't have time for this!" snarled Fenris as he slammed his fist against a stone wall. Looking around at the new room before them, no one was sure anymore how any of this was possible from what they remembered the castle looked like from the outside.

The room after the shifting rocks had enormous swinging doubled-bladed axes that hung from the ceiling and reaching down to the floor. Moving by some unseen force, not even Fenris could ghost through them in order to reach the other side. Perplexed and frustrated, neither one of them immediately saw the red circle the rested high above the door frame on the opposite side. In fact, it was young Sandal who pointed the thing out to Fenris. Jumping and pointing excitedly, Fenris was trying with great difficulty not just to lash out as he couldn't understand what the boy wanted.

"Wait, I think something's there..." Isabella stated as she tried to peer through the swinging axes. Smiling suddenly, she turned to Varric. "Varric, we need Bianca. Think she can fire a bolt that can fly through those nasties?"

Looking confused for a moment, Varric quickly saw what she was pointing at. A small red circle a few feet above the other door. "Are you kidding Rivaini? That's child's play for my Bianca." Laughing, Varric bent down on one knee and took careful aim and fired his bolt.

_**Crack!**_

"Next time, aim _between_ the blades, Varric." Fenris dryly stated, resulting in a sharp look from the dwarf.

"Yeah, let's see you try this, Broody." huffed Varric as he loaded another bolt. Again, it hit one of the axes, shattering from the impact. "Shit! Come on baby! Be nice to daddy."

"_Daddy_?" Merrill giggled.

Again, Varric loaded the crossbow and took aim. This time they were all rewarded with an ear-piercing shriek as the blades slowed to a stop. "Ah ha! Told you my baby could do it!" Varric yelled triumphantly as he placed Bianca back in her holster on his back.

"Third times the charm, huh dwarf?" Aveline taunted before continuing on forwards.

The room that currently stood before them, however, held one of those barriers that the party came across the first time they scaled Sundermount after meeting Merrill. After several minutes of slashing and blasting the barrier with their magic and spells, it became clear how they must proceed.

"No."

"It's the only way, Fenris! I don't like it anymore than you do, but it's obvious this creature is testing us, pushing us to use our abilities. Like it or not, this is something she can do."

"At least me try, Fenris. If it doesn't work, we'll try to find another way. But you said it yourself, Hawke doesn't have much time."

Fenris glared down at the small elf. He hated - **_hated_** - bloodmagic. To him, it represented everything about magic that was evil or dangerous. It was the favorite class of the mages from Tevinter, and more than once had even being used against him just for his tormentors to watch him writhe in agony.

"And what of the demon you call upon?"

"It's a _spirit_."

"Demon."

"Whatever. Look, I can do this, Fenris! Let me help save Hawke."

Silence followed for several minutes as Fenris stared icy daggers at Merrill. She knew it was dangerous, but she was willing to do anything to help save her friend.

"Fine. But know this _mage_, I will not hesitate strike you down if end up corrupted by the demon you summon."

"I know, and I understand. Thank you Fenris."

Merrill tried to give a reassuring smile, yet her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies as she approached the magic barrier. Taking a deep breath for courage, Merrill took her small dagger from her belt and readied her mind to summon the spirit that she had used before. Then in a swift strike slashed across her wrist. Immediately, she could feel her own power mix with the blood that spilled forth. Concentrating her desire, she focused her power forward on the barrier, using her will to break the partially invisible barrier to pieces.

"Good girl. See Fenris? You need to trust more." laughed Isabella as they started to cross the room.

However, when they reached the center of the room, they found themselves suddenly surrounded by demons of every variety.

"You were saying, wench?" growled Fenris as he held his sword at the ready.

"What? I'm sure this has nothing to do with Merrill's bloodmagic."

"Shut it you two! A minor demon problem here to contend with. You can argue later!" shouted Aveline as she slashed at a rage demon that got to close.

Seeing as they were surrounded, the group took up a formation where their backs all faced inward with young Sandal in the middle.

Back and forth they struck at the demons, Merrill using her protective magics to help shield them from the demon's elemental onslaught while the others fought desperately to stay alive. However, it was not looking good. Even with Fenris' ghosting abilities and Isabella's exploding enchantment in her dagger, the demons didn't seem to getting any lesser in number. In fact, there seemed to be more of them.

"Uhh... guys? This isn't looking too good..." Merrill shouted to her other companions as she cast another drain life spell on the desire demon that was in front of her, killing it. However, a hunger demon just took its place with no gaps appearing in the wall of demons that surrounded them.

"**Enchantment!**" cried Sandal from within the group's protective circle. Cowering in a heap, the boy barely moved for the entire fight, yet right now a white light started to emanate from his small body, growing larger until it filled the whole room. Covering their eyes from the intense brightness, none of them could see properly for several moments until the light completely faded away.

"What the..."

"By the Maker..."

"Well, you don't see that everyday..."

As the group's eyes again adjusted to the darkened room they were in, they stood in awe at the sight before them.

"I told you, Red. You owe me five sovereigns." Varric said to Aveline.

All around them, all the demons seemed to captured in glass, much like the ogre that Hawke and her group came across years ago when they went in search of Sandal during their Deep Roads expedition. Only this time, it was the whole horde of them, froze in mid attack or movement.

"Enchantment." Sandal happily replied, smiling his usual smile as they all looked down upon him.

"Just _what_ are you?" Fenris growled at the boy. Unafraid of the threatening tone, Sandal only continued to grin and reached his hand up to take hold of the elf's gauntleted hand into his own.

"Pretty Lady."

"Okay, I think this is our cue to move on. I don't rightly know what the deal is with our little friend here, but if he can continue to do that, I say we let him." Isabella stated as she pat Sandal's back. "Who knew he was such a useful little squirt?"

"As much as I hate to admit this, I agree with Isabella. Whatever is going on with our young friend here can wait untill _after_ we rescue Hawke."

Unsure if he should congratulate the boy, or crush his heart in case he ever turned his abilities against them, Fenris decided against his better judgement and agreed with the others. Above all else, Hawke was the most important thing to him. For her sake, he could set aside his distrust of all things magical if it meant that he could once again gaze into her purple eyes.


	10. Lovers and Losses

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Again, thank you for all the reviews. There has been one reviewer in particular who has really made my day with her reviews on each chapter. Thank you so very much **Jackattack456! ** You support is very much needed as the story gets more complicated! As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review. It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

"So, if we go by the pattern of this place, that only leaves myself and Fenris." Aveline stated as the walked down the hall to the next room.

"What I don't understand is how this place is so big! I swear it didn't look this big from the outside!" Merrill added.

"Magic. That is reason for all of this."

"Fenris, you keep growling and I'm going to start calling you '_wolfy'_"

"Try it Isabella." The look that Fenris shot the pirate was so heated that it could of melted steel. "And I don't growl."

Isabella burst out laughing at that. "Yes, just like you don't brood."

"Okay you two. We're at the next door. Are you all ready?"

"Yes, _mommy_." Isabella looked up at the guard captain with big eyes and an innocent look on her face. She even held her hands together at her side as she swayed back and forth like a child.

"Okay, we need to get out of this place. Spending too much time together seems to be driving us insane."

"Oh, I don't know Varric. I seem to be doing alright."

"Case in point, Daisy."

Their laughter died however as they opened the door before them and saw a single man fighting off a group of Darkspawn. Rushing forwards, Aveline couldn't believe her eyes as she saw who it was.

"_Wesley_?" She whispered. Aveline wanted to run to him, yet first the Darkspawn needed to be dealt with.

Fighting like a mad woman, Aveline tore into the monsters. Swing her axe with deadly accuracy, she and the others made quick work of the attacking horde. When the last of them fell, Aveline rushed over to her former husband. However, when he turned to face her, Aveline nearly collapsed from what she saw.

"Aveline?" Wesley asked, not sure if what he was seeing was real. "By the Maker! You live!"

"This is your ex? Uh, he doesn't look so good, Red..."

"No, Wesley... _No..._" Aveline cried as Wesley stumbled and fell forewards into Aveline's arms. Again the taint could be seen on his face, turning his skin sickly pale and darkening his veins. Carefully, she laid her husband down on the ground with his back braced against a nearby rock.

"Aveline? What's going on?" Wesley pleaded, his voice growing weaker with every passing minute.

"Oh no..."

"Shit!"

Isabella and Merrill stayed back, unsure of what to do to help their friend, while Fenris joined them by the rock.

"Aveline, this is not real." Fenris tried to talk some sense into the woman, but she would have none of it.

"I don't care Fenris! This is my husband!" Aveline screamed at the elf as she cradled Wesley's head.

"And what of me, dear? Am I not your husband as well?"

All heads turned to see Donnic standing a few feet away. Aveline's eyes filled with shock as she saw her current husband looking down at her with hate in his eyes.

"Donnic?"

"What of us, Aveline? Would you..." Donnic was cut off by a coughing fit that brought up black blood - a sign of the tainted. "I suddenly don't feel so good, love." Donnic weakly stated as he fell to the ground, his skin growing paler as the taint filled him.

"No! Donnic!" screamed Aveline as she tried to rush to his side. Yet she fell back when she ran into an invisible barrier that separated the two of them. Quickly standing up again, Aveline banged repeatedly on the barrier, screaming Donnic's name as the taint began to over take him.

"Aveline? Have you already forgotten me?" Wesley asked weakly from behind her. Turning around to look at him, the others could see the tears running down their brave guard captain's face.

"No! This isn't fair! This isn't fair!" She screamed as she tried to run back to Wesley, only to be stopped by another barrier, keeping her from reaching him. "No! No! This can't be happening!" Falling down to the ground, Aveline sobbed while she kept hitting the barrier to Wesley. Helplessly, her friends could do nothing but watch as a third barrier kept them from her and the two men.

"Aveline!" Donnic cried out in agony. Looking towards him, she tried to stand to reach him but again was prevented. Looking around her, grief consumed Aveline as she cried out for help. To her, she was alone in the darkness, stuck between two men she loved yet could not save.

Suddenly a dagger skidded across the floor to rest at her feet. Looking to where it came from, Aveline gasped as she saw the same hooded creature from before.

**"One dagger, two men, one choice. Who do you choose to save, Aveline? Who do you leave to die a painful death that could last days or weeks? Who do you kill quickly to save them from their torment. You can only choose one. So who will it be?"**

"You bastard!" Aveline snarled through her tears. "I will not play your game monster!"

**"Aveline Vallen, daughter of a disgraced chevalier and named after a woman who defied all tradition to follow her heart, yet ended up dead for it. You wish others to believe in your strength, in your power to lead. What you lack in diplomacy, you make up for in strength. What you lack in civility, you make up for in honor.**

**"Show me your strength, child. Prove to me you are not your father's made-up knight. Show me you are stronger than your namesake who fell to a cheater's blade. Show me your honor. Who do you choose? Do you save the love you built through mutual affection and feeling?" **The monster pointed to the writhing form of Wesley. **"Or do you choose to save the love of comfort and convenience?"** This time the monster pointed to a coughing Donnic several feet away. **"Choose child, or I damn them both!"**

Aveline felt her shoulders fall as she lowered her head and cried. What sort of choice was this? All her pent-up grief over Wesley's death and her fear over losing Donnic as well came crashing down upon her. Shuddering through the agony of such a decision, Aveline bent down and picked up the decorated dagger by her feet.

In all proper respects, the dagger was well made and quite beautiful. Just by looking at it, an experienced eye could tell it was very deadly, and probably worth a fortune. Something Aveline was sure Isabella would love.

_So would Hawke..._

Remembering her friend brought something else back to her mind.

**"Choose!" **The monster screamed at her, the air around Aveline rushing past her from the force of the monster's voice.

"You want me to choose, _monster_? Fine. I will _choose_." Aveline said coldly before raising her eyes to the hooded figure. "I choose you!" Aveline screamed before tossing the dagger at the creature, having it land solidly in the creature's chest. Instantly, the monster dissolved from sight, and so did the images of both Wesley and Donnic.

Again, Aveline was back in the room she and her friends entered in not too long ago. Looking up, Aveline smiled warmly as her friends ran over to her.

"Damn Aveline! Good shot!" Isabella stated joyously as she patted the guard captain's back.

"I don't get it, Red. How'd you know?"

"It was something Merrill here said, actually." Aveline indicated over to the young elf, causing her to blush.

"Me? Oh I don't know... It was you who threw the dagger, Aveline."

"Yes, but it was you who gave me the idea. I believe it was you who said 'why choose anything when we can just beat on him'?"

Aveline, Isabella and Varric burst out in laughter while Fenris just stood by with his arms crossed over his chest. "I have to admit, captain, that was indeed a good shot. I had no idea you were so good with daggers."

"To be honest, Fenris, I'm actually not. I mean sure, sometimes I got Hawke to give me a few pointers, but in truth, I was aiming for the bastard's head."

That got even Fenris to bark out a laugh as the friends gathered their things together and headed for their next trial.

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The last room.

Or so they hoped.

The group each knew that if the pattern persisted, Fenris' trial would be next. However, given what Aveline faced, the thought of what the dark and troubled elf had to face was a frightening thought. However, if Fenris felt any reservation or fear, he didn't show it. Instead, the elf showed little emotion at all as they entered the next room.

In front of them, huge stone columns rose from the floor to the ceiling. At least three feet thick and ten feet high, they were an intimidating sight. Between them was a space no more than a few inches across, creating an impassable obstacle before them.

"I don't get it. How are we supposed to get through?" Merrill asked as she peered between the columns, only to find similar ones behind it, spaced slightly different so each of the open spaces didn't line up.

"Do you see anything to shoot, Varric?"

"Nothing, Red. Even if I were to shoot a bolt through one of the spaces, it would just hit the rock behind it."

"Great!" Isabella yelled with exasperation, throwing her hands in the air. "What kind of test is this? Bloody monster..."

The group got together then to try to think of a way through - all except Fenris who just stood looking at the columns with his arms crossed over his chest and a menacing scowl on his face.

"This test is for me." Fenris uttered coldly, causing the rest of his companions to look up in curiosity.

"I don't get it, Broody. How can you get past this?"

"The lyrium lets me ghost through objects; it is how I crush the hearts of my enemies... But..."

"But what, Fenris?" Aveline asked as she approached the elf.

"I am never tried to go entirely incorporeal, and the effect itself doesn't last long - no more than a few moments before I phase back." It also was excruciating, however he would not admit that part.

"So if you phase back while in the stone... Oh!... Oh... ewww..."

"You're not helping Merrill." scolding Aveline with a glare.

"Well... Isn't this bloody lovely? I tell you, when I get my hands on that blasted fool in the hooded cape..." Isabella grumbled, the remaining of her threats dissolving into incoherent mumblings.

Stepping up to the columns, Fenris took a deep breath, thinking back to the image of Hawke under him while they made love. The look of pure ecstasy in her eyes as she climaxed, and the look of happiness in her eyes as they cuddled together afterwards. Then the image changed to the look on her face when he left her that night - the pain and anger he saw there. Then the night he came to her home after her mother died, when she finally accepted him and his fumbled apology. Finally, how she looked up at him that one last time before she died. She was so afraid...

Fenris gathered his anger to him at how fate had cruelly torn them apart before that had really begun. The memories of everything making his heart beat increase and the lyrium in his veins glow brightly.

"Fenris! No!" Aveline cried out too late as Fenris let out a roar and ghosted through the first barrier, then the second, then the third one beyond. Using the spaces between the blocks to his advantage and his anger to sustain him, Fenris pushed himself even further. At the fourth and final barrier, he could feel himself start to phase back. Pushing himself one last time, he breathed a ragged breath and fell to the ground as he finally made it past the last barrier.

Coughing up bits of blood, Fenris could barely hold himself up on his arms and knees. His skin burned like searing fire, and he swore he lost some of flesh behind in the previous column. However, so blinded by the pain that pierced his whole body, Fenris did not notice right away the figure that walked towards him.

"There you are Leto. I knew you would survive; you always did." The figured said coldly.

Lifting his head, Fenris could barely make out the blurry image of the woman in front of him. Trying to lift himself to his feet, Fenris stumbled forward onto his stomach at the woman's feet.

"So pathetic. I honestly expected more out you, Leto. Or should I call you _Fenris_ now?" The woman coldly chucklednas she looked down at bloody form of Fenris at her feet.

"W-who... Who are you?" Fenris choked out between ragged breaths and heaving coughs.

"Why, don't you recognize your own _mother_, Leto?"

Looking up at the woman, Fenris tried to focus his vision desperately as her words sunk in.

_My mother?_

Grunting painfully, Fenris stood up, fighting the wave of dizziness that struck him. Slowly, as the blurriness faded, the woman came into view.

She had long silver hair that was done up in a perfect bun, sharp elven features, and emerald-green eyes. Even though aged, there was a vitality and strength behind her cold eyes. Dressed in formal robes, she looked every bit like a noble of Tevinter, right down to the enchanted staff at her back.

Growling, Fenris shook the emerging confusion and shock from him. This couldn't be his mother. He didn't even know who she was, the memory of her and his whole past erased by Denarius' magic.

"You lie..." Fenris tried to sound threatening, yet his body was still ragged from its ordeal, making his voice weak and unsteady.

The woman then cuffed Fenris hard against the side of his face, causing him to fall to his knees again. "Don't talk back to me, _slave_." She cursed at him, before beginning to pace back and forth.

"I thought you would be stronger than this, Leto. You were so strong before Denarius preformed his tests on you. Now look at you!" The woman stopped again in front of Fenris, looking down at him with a look of pure disgust. "You can barely even stand! How do you expect to save your precious _lupa_!"

Fenris felt his blood boil at the woman's reference to Hawke. Standing awkwardly, he pierced the woman who claimed to be mother with a deadly glare.

"Hawke is **not** a _whore_, woman! I know not who you are, but I will not you speak of the woman I love that way!" Growled Fenris, for the moment ignoring the screaming agony he was in to face down this stranger from his past.

Again, the woman tried to cuff Fenris, yet this time he caught her hand and squeezed it tightly. The pressure was enough to break normal bones, yet the woman just continued to stand there, her own look of hatred in her cold green eyes.

"Well, you do seem to have some _animus_ left in you, dog. Good. Denarius will be pleased his toy isn't broken after all." The women wrenched her wrist free from Fenris' grasp and cackled menacingly. "Tell me child, did you enjoy the way your master treated you? What he made you do to please him? Did you enjoy the feeling of him _inside of you_?"

The woman's voice turned more sinister as she went on, her body taking on a glow of its own. Magic seemed surround her, loosening her carefully pinned silver hair so that it blew free in the torrent of magic that filled the air. Her eyes filled with an evil fire that seemed to have a life of its own. Fenris had trouble standing in the whirlwind of power that blasted him. However, he crossed his forearms in front of his head to shield himself from the winds. Holding his breath at the freezing temperatures, Fenris held his ground.

"You are not my mother, witch!" Fenris roared, his anger and disgust at his own past combined with what the woman said overflowed him, fueling him with strength and determination. Running at her, Fenris pulled free his blade from behind his back and slashed at the silver-haired witch.

The woman blocked his strike through with her staff, pushing him off with an inhumane strength. "So, the boy thinks he can challenge his betters, does he? Do you want to know that it was _I_ that gave you over to Denarius? It was my payment for being able to share his bed and his title. By sacrificing a pathetic dog like yourself, I became a magister!" The witch laughed as she cast a cone of cold towards Fenris. Resisting the bitter cold, Fenris again leaped at her slicing back and forth with his powerful blade.

However, each strike was blocked by the witch's staff, only increasing the look of triumph in the witch's eyes as she watched Fenris struggle with each breath. Shoving him back again, she continued with her taunts as he landed in a heap on the ground.

"Give it up, _dog_. Your strength fails you, even now. You cannot beat me, how do you expect to save your _lupa_? You say she not a whore, yet you do not know of the heated nights that she spent in that abominations arms. Do you want to know how many times he made her beg for his manhood? How many times she screamed out his name?"

Another blast of cold hit Fenris, knocking him flat on his back and stealing the air from his lungs. Slowly the witch walked over to him, using her power to toss his sword across the room when she got close enough. Going down to one knee, she leaned over Fenris, taking great joy in how pained he was.

"Do you know it was _him_ that she thought of when you made love to her? That it was _his face_ she thought of when you sank that filthy and corrupted scrap of flesh into her? Face it, my son, your precious Hawke is every bit the _whore_ you are."

The cold and laughing eyes bore into Fenris, her evil smile distorting her once beautiful features into something gruesome. Then suddenly all of that was replaced by a look of shock and pain. Looking down between them, the woman couldn't breath as she saw Fenris' fist in her chest, crushing her heart.

"You know _nothing_ of me, **or** Hawke, witch!" Fenris spat out as he gripped her heart harder. Then, to Fenris' shock, the woman's body dissolved into a thick black mist the swirled from his grasp.

Coughing up more blood, Fenris rolled slightly onto his stomach as pain engulfed his entire being. However, before he could even regain his breath, the mist once again coalesced a few feet away into the form of the hooded monster from before.

**"Very good, slave. Your power will suit me nicely."** was all the form said before dissolving again, the mist scattering until none of it was left.

Fenris rolled back onto his back, trying to force his lungs to take in deep breaths despite the blinding pain he was in.

"Fenris!" The group called out him as she ran to him. Immediately, Merrill started to use healing magic on him while Isabella dug through her pack for a healing potion and injury kit.

"What in the Maker's name is going on here?" Aveline cursed as she looked down on Fenris' broken and bleeding form. The sight of how badly he looked was enough to even make a seasoned solider nauseous, as ice crystals were still embedded in his exposed flesh and open wounds covering his body. She was positive that if it weren't for his armor, Fenris might of very well be dead by now.

"Yeah, I know it tastes like shit, but deal with it big boy. Hawke'll have my head if I return you to her like this." Isabella stated as Fenris gagged slightly on the potion she fed him.

"I don't know Red. But somehow I think this creature's _bargain_ was just another way to mess with our heads. Think about it - each of these trials have been made to test the limits of our abilities. Like we're being evaluated for something."

"Well, whatever it is, when I see that bastard again I am going to take great pleasure in chopping his head off." Aveline added angrily.

"M-me first..." Fenris sputtered, feeling the healing slowly take effect.

If anyone was going to kill this damned creature, it would be **_him_**.

* * *

_**AN: **__Okay, I know this is off-cannon in that Fenris doesn't get to know his name was Leto unless he lets his sister live after the party kills Denarius, but whatever. I am assuming that this creature can pull memories (whether they are accessible to that person or not) from his victims, which is what he did with Aveline, and then Fenris._

**Translations:**

**Lupa: Whore**

**Animus: Spirit/A Person's Will**


	11. A Bargain Fulfilled

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

Fenris groaned as he started to awaken and felt the after effects of fighting that witch. Opening his eyes, he saw his companions settled in a small circle nearby, going over future strategies in careful whispers and low voices.

"There is no need to whisper, I am awake. Unfortunately..." Fenris let out a string of curses as he made his aching body sit up.

"You're awake! Good, we were starting to wonder." Aveline said as she came and sat down beside him. "Next time, it would probably be a good idea to wait for the rest of us before facing off against a witch."

"I had no choice. She... She claimed she was..."

"Yes, we heard." Aveline replied with a deep frown.

"She said other things... Things about me... and about Hawke."

"None of which are true. I am surprised I have to even say that."

"What if what she spoke of is true? I do not remember my life before this cursed lyrium." Fenris held up his arm and stared at the intricate weaves of lyrium there with disgust as he remembered everything the woman said.

"You can't be serious, Broody!" Fenris looked up to see Varric approach and lean against the wall close by. "Look, I wouldn't know what happened in your past from a zit on a Darkspawn's ass. But there is one thing I do know, and that is Hawke never slept with mage-boy."

"You can't honestly be considering what that woman said, are you? She wasn't even real!"

"Isabella is right. It was the same thing with Wesley and Donnic. Just illusions created to toy with us."

"Fenris, if you can't trust us, trust in Hawke. With everything you know about her, does this sound like something Hawke would do?"

Fenris looked up at the bloodmage, thinking through what she and the others had said. And even he had to admit that what they said made sense. Sure, Hawke was friends with the abomination, and even supported some of his ideas on mage freedom. But never once did she appear interested in the mage in any way other than friendship, despite the abominations non-to-subtle advances.

"I suppose... you are right." Fenris admitted with a small blush.

"Well what do you know, there may still be hope for you yet, Broody!" Varric chided with a grin. Offering his hand to the elf, Fenris accepted it gladly and stood with help with his friend. He was still incredibly sore, and had a sudden yet deep craving for a wagon full of _Agreggio Pavali_.

"You going to be okay there, _wolfy_?" Isabella joked, getting a wickedly menacing glare from Fenris.

"Do **not** call me that, _wench_." growled Fenris in response, his body falling into an attack stance.

"Easy now, big fella. Save that anger for the hooded host of this grand castle." Varric cautiously stated as he stepped slightly between Fenris and Isabella. "And as for you Rivaini," Varric added as he glared at Isabella, who for some insane reason was looking like she enjoyed taunting Fenris. "Try not to make our elf friend kill you. It would really get on my nerves to try to break in a new Diamondback player."

Isabella still held her sly smile as she turned and continued down the hall. Varric just sighed and shook his head before looking back to Fenris with an apologetic look in his eyes.

"That woman has got to either have the biggest balls in all of the Free Marshes or the most brain damage to taunt you like that, Broody."

Fenris raised a questioning eyebrow at Varric's continued use of his nickname for the elf. "And what of you, calling me 'Broody'?"

"Hey! I mean it as an endearment! You know that!" laughed Varric as he and the rest of the party continued down to the next room.

"Maker help me, Varric..." Fenris growled in response, trying to hide the slight smile that threatened to give him away.

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The rest of the way to the tower was fairly normal, if you consider fights with demons, undead and Darkspawn "normal". However, considering what they just went through, the group was happy with the change of pace.

Several rooms - and many offshoots that resulted in dead ends - later, the group finally reached what seemed to be the tower they were in search of. Twisting stairs led upwards, enclosed on each side by crumbling rock and the occasional window that looked out on the valley below. Looking outside, it still appeared to be nightfall. However, neither of them could tell how long they actually spent fighting their way to the top.

"Ugh... Why are there so many blasted stairs?"

"Shut up Isabella. I would think you would be used to such vigorous _excercise_." Aveline teased.

"Yes, but only occasionally did it include stairs..."

Aveline groaned, shaking her head at the suggestive wink Isabella gave her.

As they rounded the next bend, the group stopped suddenly as finally reached what they were searching for. All the bantering stopped as they took in the heavy wooden door from Sandal's dreams. It even had the dragon head door-knocker in the center. Instinctively, Sandal latched onto Fenris. His presence so common now that the elf barely complained anymore. For some reason, the boy had become attached to the brooding elf, and rarely - if ever - leaving his side.

"You recognize this, Sandal?" Aveline asked when she saw how badly the dwarf was trembling. All the boy did was nod in response, not even taking his eyes off of the door in front of them.

Growing impatient, Fenris reached forward to push the door open, but was stopped by two small hands wrapped around his forearm. "No! Fire!" the boy screamed, his voice cracking from fear.

"Trap. Gotta be. Excuse me ladies and gents, I believe this is where I come in handy." stated Isabella as she kneeled down by the door and started examining the seams and creases. Frowning, she followed the edge of the door all the way up to the top corner, looking for anything that could mean the presence of a trap or trip wire. "Ah hah! I told you I am brilliant!" she exclaimed as she pointed proudly to the small indentation at the top of the door that glinted like metal if looked at properly.

"Do you see something Isabella? Why, I don't see anything. Are you sure there's a trap there?"

"Absolutely, Kitten. Clever, I'll give the bastard that. Almost didn't see it until manhands over there shifted her shield, which reflected the light from outside. I'm going to have to remember this one."

"Rivaini, I officially bow to your trap detecting skills."

"Enough. Can you disarm it or not?" growled Fenris, growing impatient of all the bantering his companions did.

"Now that _is_ the question, my dear brooding elf. It's complicated, so if you hear me curse and see me run past you lot, it'd be a good guess to follow." Isabella replied, for once a serious tone in her voice. Deciding to give her room, the rest of the group backed up several paces as the rogue went to work. The fact that the distance would also help them outrun whatever would be released if Isabella messed up was already a given.

After several tense minutes, an audible **_click_** was heard followed by a heavy sigh from Isabella. "Damn bastard! If I wasn't so intent on killing him, I would love to know where he got the twisted idea for that monstrosity..." Isabella grumbled as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Finally, that_ Venhedis_ will know what it is like to feel **true** pain." Fenris snarled as he approached the door.

"Just try not to kill him until we find out about Hawke, okay Broody?"

Fenris just snarled as he shoved open the heavy door, revealing a strange circular room filled with books and lab materials. The walls were covered with sheets of paper describing all manner of things, most in a language that none of them had ever seen before. On one side was a table filled with various crystals and liquid vials of differing colors and sizes. And along the various tables and bookshelves were candles and oil lamps which created disturbing shadows from the unknown implements and tools that were scattered everywhere.

However, it was the hooded figure that stood looking out the large window that captured the group's attention.

**"For a group of your caliber, I am surprised it took you this long to reach me. I am sorry to say that my hope for you has declined somewhat."**

"We came here for answers, monster. Not to impress you, and certainly not to play your little games. Now, you **will** tell us what we want to know. Perhaps if you tell us, we will make your death quick."

The monster laughed as he turned around to face the elven warrior who spoke. The others, they would provide him the needed nourishment once he was free to hunt down his enemies. However it was _him_ that the monster craved most. Thinking him a fool, the monster wondered why the elf didn't use his powers to their proper extent. Perhaps he didn't know how, in which case he was ever more the fool than the monster thought.

Then there was the _Abatu_. The witch wouldn't we pleased if he killed the fledgling, but his power would be a greatly need boost to the monster's own that it was too tempting to pass up. The witch herself would fall to him in her own time as well, so the monster dismissed any worry for her concern.

**"Perhaps. But first, our ****_bargain_****. When we first met, I gave you a choice. In exchange for the knowledge in how to bring your friend back to the world of the living, a sacrifice must be made. Who of you has chosen to be that sacrifice?"**

"There is no bargain, _monster_! We never agreed to anything, and we sure as hell are not going to let you play any more of your games with us either!" Aveline barked out, unsheathing her axe and shield. Standing at the ready, her eyes burned with fire at the hooded creature who had toyed with her feelings for the men she loved.

The room filled with tense magick as a sourceless wind ripped around the small group. Papers rustled and flew free from their resting spots to join in the miniature whirlwind that was beginning to form in the center of the room.

**"You would dare command me? Foolish child. I am no mere monster for you to threaten with your feeble weapons and empty words. I am he that once touched the face of the Old God's themselves!" **the monster growled, letting the wind push back the heavy hood that covered his face.

All around, the group gasped at the face of their enemy. Part of his face was that of a Darkspawn, but the rest looked like a strange mixture of a pride and desire demon. The monster's features blended and altered back and forth between the three forms, each at different times and paces. However, his eyes remained the same. Red as fire, they seemed to glow from an inner source. Yet they held the power to pierce through the carefully maintained stoic faces of the group, bringing forth their horror and fear of the monstrosity that they faced.

"Wh..what are you?" Merrill squeaked out behind the hand that covered her gaping mouth.

**"You can call me Rakshasa. ****_What_**** I am is beyond your limit of understanding. All you need to know is that I know how to release your Hawke from her nightmares and return her to what she once was." **The creature laughed ominously as he lifted a strange goblet to his lips. On a closer look, it seemed to made out of the fused bones of humanoid hands, creating a twisted and morbid look. "**As a fortune of fate it seems, when your precious Hawke is released, so shall I be."** The laughter from the creature now was chilling, creating goosebumps and causing hair to rise.

"Like hell! There is **no way** we would release such a demon as you!" Fenris angrily shot back, rasing his blade raising into an attack stance.

**"Fortunately, you do not have a say in this, elf. The events are already set in motion for my release and eventual domination of your pathetic world. All I needed was for you to make it past the trials and enter my domain."**

Silently the creature moved across the room towards the group, a strange sadistic smile on his lips.

"Never!" Fenris screamed as he launched himself at the creature, slashing his blade in a deadly arc. Yet the attack was stopped when the creature grabbed Fenris by his throat and began to squeeze, forcing Fenris to drop his blade to the ground.

"Fenris!" his companions yelled as they tried to reach him but were thrown back by an invisible barrier. Writhing and clawing as the creature's grip, Fenris' eyes blazed utter contempt and promises of death as he stared up at the demon.

**"Fools. Your power is meaningless compared to mine. That you are needed for my freedom is disgraceful and demeaning to my glorious stature. However, through you and your lovely ****_Myva Vynra_**** shall grant me the ability to take my place amongst the Old Gods themselves!"**

Fenris struggled to breath, yet the creature's hideous laughter filled him with bitter rage. Taking as much of a breath as he could, Fenris uttered dryly "_Ego bibiturus sum... victoriae meae... a vestris... adhuc... corde micante_!"

The demon laughed heartily at Fenris as he squeezed his throat tighter. **"Is that the mouth you kiss your lovely Hawke with? Hmmm... We shall see, won't we? I wonder if she will be as willing to take me into her bed as she was you. What do you think, ****_servus_****?"** The demon's eyes lit up and his lips spread into a broad, evil grin as he spoke those words to Fenris. Inside, Fenris could feel his heart clench and go cold.

Filling with one last surge of energy from the overloading hate and anger that consumed him, Fenris lashed out at the demon. Slashing at him his claws, the lyrium in Fenris' veins glowed to pure whiteness, mixing with the dark mist that emanated from the creature.

Suddenly a huge explosion erupted from their combined powers, blinding everyone in the room. When the light cleared, the companions looked on in horror as Fenris lay unmoving in the center of the room, with only the demon's cloak nearby. The demon itself was gone from sight - even the magick that filled the air was gone.

Immediately the companions rushed over to their fallen comrade, trying to wake him. Yet despite the healing magicks used and the potions they forced down his throat, Fenris remained completely unconscious.

* * *

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* * *

Anders groaned at the light that shone through the doorway of his cell. Since he was brought in here, occasionally the guards would '_visit_' him, offering gifts of punches and kicks between shifts or whenever they got bored. Thinking this was such a visit, Anders curled himself up in a tight ball and awaited his punishment.

"Get up _mage_. It seems fate has decreed that you are to be used again."

Anders tried to open his eyes to look at the woman who spoke to him, yet his eyes refused to work properly. All he could tell was that the woman standing over him reeked of powerful magic, both dark and dangerous.

"W-who... are you?" Anders whispered hoarsely. Days without water and a bruised and possibly even broken jaw prevented him from speaking much more than that.

"Why, your _salvation_ dear boy. What else would you call this?" The woman cackled before bending down and removing the painful collar. "Now then, take this," a bottle was tossed loosely near where Anders' hands laid. "And get up. The guards may be fools, but even my charms have their limits if they see you limping past them."

Bewildered, Anders grabbed the bottle and saw it was restoration potion. Popping the cork, he greedily drank down the bitter concoction, feeling the effects almost immediately. Still wounded and low on magick, Anders was nonetheless able to stand and fight if needed be, thanks to the potion that the strange woman gave him.

His eyes functioning more normally now, Anders ventured a look at his would be rescuer. She had short black hair and despite the evil look in her eyes, was rather beautiful. The fact that her _unique_ robes left little the imagination played little into the thought of her beauty. At least, that's what Anders told himself.

"Watch where your eyes gaze, _boy_. I need your legs able to carry you out of this bloody mess you gotten yourself into, **_not_** your eyes." The woman replied curtly before slamming a wooden staff against Ander's chest. Looking at it, it was of rather good quality, holding a powerful fire enchantment that also seemed to increase his magick and defence at the same time.

"Before we go anywhere, I need to know what is going on. Who are you _really_?"

"She said you would be trouble." The woman grumbled as she crossed her arms and looked on Anders with a glare of annoyance and anger. "'Tis no matter what my name is, boy. Know that for the moment, we are allies and that my intentions lie with aiding your lovely friend, Hawke."

Shocked, Anders reached out and grabbed the woman's arm. "Hawke? How do you know her? Is she alright?"

Wrenching her arm free, the woman glared murderously at Anders. "Do **not** think that our temporary alliance grants you the ability to manhandle me, _worm_. Do that again and you will find out the true meaning behind the phrase '_a woman scorned'_."

Anders immediately backed off at the icy fire in the woman's eyes. Whoever this woman was and what her connection to Hawke was, if Hawke was in danger, he **had** to help her. Even if it meant aligning himself with a strange dark mage and fighting through an army of templars to do so.

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_****Somewhere in the Fade****_

Groaning, Fenris slowly came awake and looked around at his new surroundings. Immediately, the location came to his mind, causing a deadly smile to etch across his face.

_Finally! Now nothing shall stop me!_

Laughing, Fenris stood and marched off in search of the woman who freedom meant everything to him.

* * *

**Translations:**

**Venhedis: A Swear Word**

**Myva Vynra: The Lyrium in Fenris' Veins, meaning "Lifeforce"**

**Ego bibiturus sum victoriae meae a vestris adhuc corde micante: I am going to drink my victory from your still beating heart**

**Servus: Slave**

**Abatu: A word used in reference to Sandal**


	12. Demons and Witches

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Also, in case any of you are wondering where Sabastian is... Well, I don't own the DLC's for DA 2, so I wouldn't know how to write him or include any of the events from the DLC's. So hopefully you all don't mind.

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

_****Somewhere in the Fade****_

_Hawke opened her eyes to find herself once again in her parent's old home. As the horror of it filled her, she felt like lashing out at the injustice of it all. Especially the injustice of this continual nightmare she lived everyday, yet nothing seemed to bring her away from this place. She even tried speaking to her parents of what Ser Mavrick did, yet it was like she was speaking a foreign language to them._

_Everyday she woke up, the day would begin anew. It was the day people went to the Chantry, and the day Ser Mavrick claimed she forgot something and needed _talking to_._

_Hawke's life was just a nightmare on repeat, and no matter what she did, every morning she awoke to hear her mother tell her to hurry up and get dressed for service._

_By this time, no other life seemed possible. Her life as something else - as a famous rogue warrior who had friends and even someone who loved her - it all seemed like a faded dream that held no substance in the light of her present hell. Hawke was just a thirteen year old child, eldest of Leandra and Malcolm Hawke and sister to twins Carver and Bethany Hawke who were both eight years of age. And to save her sister and her family, she submitted herself to things that only the Maker knew how to end. Yet, as always, he remained silent to her pleas._

_Hawke's only hope was a dream she sometimes went to when the templar touched her. It was a faded image, like something long forgotten, yet it still comforted her when she felt completely dirty and used by others. It was an image of a tall silver-haired man with piercing green eyes that promised that she would one day be safe again. When things got too much, she would imagine herself being whisked away by him, never to be hurt again._

_Yet it was only a dream, and Hawke knew that. No matter how hard she wished or how hard she prayed, Ser Mavrick always awaited her at the end of services. _

_Wishing again for her silver-haired guardian to rush in and save her, Hawke reluctantly dressed and met her family in the kitchen._

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_****Somewhere in the Fade, not far from Hawke****_

Looking around, the demon laughed at how perfect things had worked out. He could feel the youth and vitality of the body he claimed, and most importantly, he felt the _power_ that the body held. That foolish elf had no idea what he was truly capable of, or else he never would have searched for a way to do something he could have easily done himself.

As for the others, once he found that human bitch's soul, he would free himself permanently from his prison in the tower. Then this body would be his in both realms, not just the Fade! And then no one would be safe from his wrath, not the elf's companions, nor the deluded witch who made this all possible.

Laughing evilly, the demon continued his march towards the beacon that was the soul of woman that held his release.

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* * *

Greeting the fresh night air, Anders couldn't believe he was finally free of that horrible place. However, he was surprised to know that it only been a few weeks since his capture. Then again, Anders wouldn't have been surprised if this mysterious woman said he had been locked away for months or even years. Everything seemed to blend together in that dark cell. Not even the beatings from the guards was consistent.

Yet now, he was free. Breathing in deeply, Anders let the cool night air fill his lungs. However, the reason for his freedom still weighed heavily on his mind, and truly was the only reason he allowed himself to be rescued at all. Anders still knew he deserved what happened to him, yet if Hawke needed him, he would do anything to try to help.

"How did you ever manage to escape your previous tower so many times? I swear you trod along like you have weights attached to your boots. 'Tis a wonder we are not clapped in irons already from your bumbling!" the woman cursed. She still refused to tell Anders what her name was or even what was really going on. She only insisted that she came to help Hawke and needed Anders to do so.

"Oh I wasn't that bad! Besides, with the way you are dressed, I'm surprised you made it so far into the gallows to rescue me. How anyone could think you anything _but_ an apostate is beyond me."

"Hmph. I will have you know that is precisely _how _I am dressed that I got as far as I did. There are two things a man is always willing to believe - one, that is she helpless and two, that she finds him attractive." the woman remarked back snidely.

"Oh I don't believe that. Men are not that stupid."

The woman then turned to face Anders, a seductive smile on her lips. Looking up at him with hooded eyes, she carefully leaned in and started curling his hair around her fingers while she brought her face close to his. Instead of kissing him, however, she ran her tongue along the edges of Anders' ear, eliciting a sharp shiver from him. Smiling deviously, the woman whispered softly into his ear "Are you sure, my dear _mage?_", the word 'mage' said with as much of a lustful tone that she could manage.

Instantly, Anders felt his knees go week and felt a tightening in his under-clothes. His eyes closed, and he felt like he couldn't move while his body reacted to the woman's simple actions.

Pulling away slowly, the woman smiled before she slapped Anders painfully across his face.

"OWW! What in the Void is wrong with you woman?" Anders yelled as he covered his sore cheek. He couldn't believe the woman just slapped him! Pegging her with a deadly glare, he felt like strangling the woman in front of him. "Why, in the name of Maker, did you just slap me?"

"Because, it proved a point. You _believed_ first that I found you attractive, leaving your guard open. And because a man is always willing to believe a woman is no match for him, you didn't feel the need to keep your eyes on me. A mistake which allowed a perfect opportunity for my attack. You are just as much a fool as any other man. Perhaps even a bigger one than a templar I once knew."

"That still doesn't explain why you had to hit me so _hard_." Anders moaned, still rubbing his cheek.

"Oh would you keep it down? May I remind you we that still have to leave this blighted island of a prison before we can truly breath freely? Or are you willing to stand around here until my spells on the templars wear off and they come in search of us?" the woman said with venom in her voice.

Anders was really beginning to think that he just left the cooking pot for the fire as he spent more time with this confusing woman. She was infuriating and Anders was beginning to wonder how she really knew Hawke - and if she was even sane.

"Fine, but once we are free from here, you will give me some answers."

"Yes, yes, of course. However, first we must make it to my boat before some hapless fool of a guard notices it and alerts his fellows."

"You are one strange woman..."

The woman laughed at his remark, the sound reminding Anders of the cackling of ravens as they fought over food.

"You, my dear boy, have no idea how right you are."

* * *

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* * *

"Well, I'm lost. We've searched that damn room in its entirety, and all we have found is that whatever that creature was is _very_ pissed at whoever locked him up in here." Varric stated with a sigh as he returned to the others by the camp fire.

When Fenris refused to awaken, the group thought it best to see if a little time was just needed to bring their friend back to them. So between Varric and Aveline, they managed to make it back outside the broken castle and make a modest camp. It helped that without the monster's magick, the rooms of puzzles were no longer there - and neither were the minor demons and other things that attacked them previously.

"All I found were pages speaking of some type of _Architect_, and the creature's mother. Most of the papers were impossible to understand, though. The writings resembled a child's drawings more than any scholarly mage."

"Did you say 'architect', Merrill?" Aveline asked as she tried to remember where she heard such a term before.

"You know what that is, Red?"

"Maybe... I remember about a year ago, a report came in from Ferelden concerning the trade with Amaranthine. Normally I pass on the trade records to the seneschal, but this once caught my eye as it had to do with Hero of Ferelden."

"Oh, you mean Riel? I remember her. Such a shy and angry girl when she lived with us. I was amazed the Keeper had so much patience, yet never did she ever get angry at Riel for the fights she started with the boys in our clan. I always wondered about that. And then there were many of us that thought she had something to do with Tamlen's death. Tamlen was a young archer in our clan before-"

"Daisy?"

"Yes, Varric?

"Focus honey. You know that thing we spoke of?"

"Oh right... sorry."

"Anyway" Aveline continued, shaking her head slowly. "Apparently, they ran into some talking Darkspawn down there. One in particular called himself the Architect. And I believe there was also mention of a 'mother' of some kind, as well."

"It that it? Talking Darkspawn and some architect are all we have to go on?" replied Isabella with a curse.

"Flames! I don't remember much else. It was over a year ago and seemed like nonsense at the time. I thought it was nothing more than ship gossip. Did the notes say anything else?"

"Not much that we could actually read. However, the books that were scattered about were on everything you possibly think of regarding blood magic. Some of them were gruesome enough to give _me_ nightmares."

"None of it was actually _possible_ though. At least, not from what I saw. I am not even sure that some of the things required for those rituals even exist!"

"Well kitten, something happened up in that tower, and we need to find out what it was. We are now down three members, and this is a trend that I really do not wish to see continue."

"Are we sure Broody is even still, well, _Broody_?"

"What do you mean Varric?" inquired Aveline. All the eyes of the group settled on the dwarf, who seemed suddenly very uncomfortable with what he had to say.

"Well, it's just something that thing kept saying. I mean, those trials were something else, I'll give you that. But you notice how our lyrium gifted friend seemed to get the worst of it? He was out for hours after that witch's attack. But what sticks out for me the most, is what that creature said afterwards."

"Something about Fenris being useful to him, I think." Merrill answered softly.

"Not just that, Daisy. It wasn't really Broody he was speaking about, but his _power_. Then after we confronted the bastard, did you all hear what he said? About Hawke _sharing_ his bed? Guys, I don't think we ever were meant to walk out of that place. At least not as ourselves, but something else entirely."

"What you mean, that _thing_ wanted to possess us? You think it possessed Fenris?" Aveline looked appalled at the notion, yet it did start to make everything seem to make sense. The way the creature tested their abilities, how he taunted them and pushed them past their limits to see just what they were capable off.

Still...

"Bad man has Fenris."

All eyes looked over to the dwarven boy who still sat by Fenris' side. Ever since what happened, you couldn't pry that boy away from Fenris' side with the strength of the Maker himself. And when they laid the unconscious elf down next to the fire, Sandal took up a spot sitting next to him. Since then he hasn't moved or even spoken until now. All he did was stare down at Fenris' face with a sad look in his eyes.

Varric got up and sat next to the boy, hoping for once to get some answers out of him. "What you mean, kid? What bad man?"

"From tower."

"Do you know where he is?"

Sandal nodded slowly before raising his eyes to meet Varric's. "The Fade."

* * *

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* * *

"I swear, I have never been so glad to be on solid ground."

"For a mage possessed by a spirit of Justice, you whine quite a bit."

"I do not!" Anders replied in slightly whiny tone. "And that is only because you never told me the boat you claimed to own was the size of thimble! I swear it's a miracle we made it to shore the way the waves were filling that thing!"

"My boat was perfectly suitable for the task at hand. Any larger and t'would been noticed by the templars" snapped the woman.

"You still haven't even told me your name."

"And as I said before, my name is of no use to you or my task of getting you free."

"It still would be nice to know what to call you, other than 'that woman'. How else am I going to tell this story to the bards? Tales of the great escape from the Gallows by two mages who walked out through the front door, no less! Now that is a tale worth retelling. And due to your insistence, all you will be known as 'the grumpy strange woman with black hair'."

"Which is how I prefer it. Trust me, your history books would fare no better to have my name imprinted in them. My purpose and destiny does not concern you or your fellows here in Kirkwall."

"Then why did you help me?"

The woman looked up at Anders, a brief look of sadness in her eyes before it disappeared behind her fiery demeanor. "Someone... has something of mine. I agreed to this task in order for it to be returned. And now that I am almost done, I shall go back to my own life far away from this wretched place."

Anders was shocked he actually got a straight answer out of her, and was tempted to continue on with his questions. Yet an icy look from her cold eyes stopped him before he could ask another question.

"That is all the answers you get from me, mage. Already, I have involved myself too much. Now, if you are done pestering me, our destination is not far. The sooner we are there, the sooner I shall be free of you and this place."

With the that, the woman turned and walked away. Anders was sure he shouldn't trust her. He couldn't sense any blood magick about her, but there was something dark and sinister about her, nonetheless. However, if Hawke was truly in trouble, then he had to follow her. He would do anything to try to right the wrongs he caused.

Climbing up the stairs into Hightown, Anders was finding it harder and harder to not question the woman about Hawke or where they were going. Yet the woman was stubborn when it came to exactly what this task of hers entailed. All she would say is that Hawke was in danger, and Hawke's other companions were unable to help in this matter.

"What is it mage?" the woman asked with a sigh. "You have been staring at me since we left that prison you people call a Circle."

"How do you know Hawke? You never answered me before. And what do you mean she is in trouble?"

"I don't know her, not personally anyway. We have a mutual acquaintance. As for how your Hawke is in danger, you will see soon enough. If I am not mistaken, her home is not too far from here."

"And who is this mutual acquaintance?"

"Someone who despises questions even more than I do, and who has less patience for those who constantly pester with endless proding."

"You are one hard woman to get to know."

"Something I worked very hard at." the woman replied before stopping in front of Hawke's estate. "Now, we are here. Thankfully in a few more moments, I shall be free of you. Now, hurry up and get inside before I decide my sanity is more important that what I lost."

Inside the estate, it was quiet as usual for this time of night. It was still too early for the servants to be up readying the house for the morning. As Anders started to head for the stairs that led up to Hawke's room, he paused as he suddenly wondered how wise it was to enter into Hawke's private room while she slept.

"This isn't right. Are you sure Hawke is in her room? I thought you said she was in danger. Won't she be slightly more than raging mad at us for simply inviting ourselves in? Plus... she and I didn't part on the best of circumstances either."

"Actually, your Hawke rests in her mother's room. From what I understand the dwarf who runs this house is finding it difficult to return her bed to its previous condition. So for the time being, she rests elsewhere. As for her being cross at us for entering her room uninvited, I somehow do not think she will even notice."

"What do you mean? What's wrong with her?" Anders' expression turned deadly. His patience for this woman's evasiveness in regards to his questions about Hawke were finally reaching his limit. "You have avoided this question since we met, and seeing as we but feet away from where she rests, I will have an answer now. What is going on?"

"Well, it seems you do have a spine after all, mage. However, anything I say will be meaningless until you see for yourself. You will not believe anything I say unless you see for yourself the mess you created when you let that spirit control you."

"How do you know about that?"

"I know many things. Such as your Hawke will not live past morning if you do not forget this foolishness you have against me, and do what I brought you here for."

"And what is that?"

"Save her."

Anders was at his limit for dealing with the woman. Her puzzling words and non-answers were driving him mad, yet he knew he wouldn't be able to leave unless he at least checked on Hawke. If this all seemed to be some trick by an insane mage, he would deal with that later. First, he needed to see Hawke.

No matter how many times he asked how she was doing, no one would tell him. The guards would allow him no visitors, and were careful not to speak much around him. It was like they didn't want him to know something. And now approaching the room that Hawke rested in, a lump of fear settled in his stomach at all the possibilities came to mind that could cause an apostate mage to break him out of the prison he was in.

Slowly, he opened the door. Inside, things looked relatively the same as Hawke's own room. Only the colors and decorations were different. Noticing that they were not alone, Anders turned to see a Chantry maiden asleep on a cot a few feet from the bed. Though it was dark, Anders could see it was the type of maiden they sent to those who were ill.

Growing more worried, Anders slowly approached the side of the bed that Hawke was in. As soon as he drew close, the candle by her bed lit, causing him to turn and look at the strange woman who brought him here. However she only shrugged her shoulders in a dismissive manner before motioning him forward.

As soon as Anders saw Hawke, he nearly buckled. Bile rose in his throat and his stomach threatened to empty its contents, which was something seeing as the only thing he had consumed in recent history was the potion the woman gave him.

Down on the bed lay his Hawke, only she looked more like a living skeleton. Her chest moved up and down, indicating she breathed, but looking at her it was a wonder how.

Her hair was stringy and thin, flowing from skin that looked stretched like leather. Her once beautiful face was sunken; Hawke's eyes could barely be seen under the dark circles and lines that surrounded them, her cheeks were hollow and thin and her lips were no longer full and welcoming. Her strong hands that once held up her entire group were folded neatly over her chest, yet now the looked barely more than skin covered bones.

How she was still alive in a such a state, Anders couldn't fathom. Even blood magick didn't seem strong enough to keep her heart beating under such circumstances.

"What... What happened to her?" Anders choked out, barely able to breathe after witnessing the woman he loved in such a state.

"**You** did, mage. You killed her, sending her soul into the Fade. Whatever you and that boy Sandal did may have revived her body, however her soul remained trapped. Being lost between the Fade and her final place of rest, she was easy pickings for the demons of the realm. Now they feed off her, slowly draining her of the life you gave back to her.

Normally she would have long ago perished from such an onslaught, however fate has different plans. There are things in the works that are greater than either of you can imagine, and your Hawke lies at the center of it all. To prevent history from being rewritten in a way that is not a benefit to them, our mutual acquaintance has been keeping her alive. However, even that power has its limits. Hawke's time grows short, and the only one left who can rejoin her soul and her body is you."

Anders fell to his knees by the bed as he listened to everything the woman told him. He was responsible for this. For all of it. Because of his blind rage and foolish idea that he could control Justice, he had caused of all this to happen.

"Where are the others? Why are they not helping her?" Anders asked in tearful whisper. He was even afraid to touch Hawke, that even the slightest pressure would break her.

"They are, in their own way. Now their part is over. They did what they were supposed to and placed the pieces in place for you to clean up the mess." The woman replied as she stepped closer to both Anders and Hawke. "Now there is only one thing left to do."

"And that is?"

"This!" The woman exclaimed as she summoned some sort of spell, creating a suffocating light that surrounded Anders. Immediately, Anders started choking as he felt an invisible force close around his throat. Trying to claw at the light was futile, and as he started to feel his eyes dim, Anders felt the familiar presence of Justice come forward.

"_Witch_!" Justice choked out from Anders' lips. With Justice once again in control, Anders body took on an etherial glow that seemed to shine forth from within his very body.

"Yes, I am. And you, are a spirit. A spirit that is needed not in some dormant, sulking part of your host's mind, but front and center. I hope you you are ready, because you're going on a little trip."

Another light started to shine around Hawke's body, lifting her slightly from the bed she rested on.

"_Leave her be_!" Justice screamed out, his glow growing brighter with his increasing anger.

"Good, I could use that emotion. Now, be a dear and go save your lovely friend. I have an appointment to keep." the woman replied before joining the two lights together. Instantly, Hawke's body fell back to the bed and Anders' slid down to the floor. "Remember spirit. You have until daybreak. Much longer and my mother will not be able to keep what little there is left of her still alive."

After one last glance down at Hawke, the woman turned and slowly walked from the house, leaving no trace of her presence.


	13. Face Off

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

**Translations:**

**Fasta Vass: A Swear**

**Myva Vynra: The Lyrium in Fenris' Veins, meaning "Lifeforce"**

* * *

_****Somewhere in the Fade****_

Fenris opened eyes, only to close them again as a bright light shot painfully into his vision. "_Fasta Vass!_" Fenris cursed as he rolled over and covered his eyes in the inside of his elbow.

"Sorry lad, don't know what that is. Shouldn't you be at home or playing with your friends?"

Fenris looked up to see an elderly man standing nearby. Slowly Fenris stood, feeling like _he did_ somehow wind up drinking that wagon full of Agreggio. Squinting at the pain that pounded behind his eyes, Fenris saw the man was actually a templar.

"Where am I?" hissed Fenris at the stranger.

"You're in Lothering, son. Are you lost?"

Fenris tried to look around at his surroundings, yet all he could tell was that he was just outside of a village of some sort. Trying to take a few steps, Fenris stumbled a bit and was caught by the templar.

"Easy there, kid! Here, let me take you to the Chantry. I am sure your parents must be looking for you."

Fenris growled and pulled away from the templar roughly. "I am **no** child, templar. And I will go nowhere with you or anyone until I get some answers!"

"Okay, fine. Geez, you try to help a kid, and..." The rest of the templar's mumbling rant was cut off as he walked away towards what looked like the center of town. Everything was so strange here. He could tell this was a town, yet everything seemed '_off_' somehow. Like everything didn't look at clear as it should. His head still feeling like a dagger was stabbed in it, Fenris raised his hand to try to block out the blinding sun. However, that is when he saw it.

His lyrium markings were gone!

Quickly examining both his arms and even pulling up his shirt, Fenris found that not a trace of his old markings could be found. Thinking about it, he found his skin no longer burned either, and even the familiar smell of lyrium was gone from his skin as well. Unbelieving his eyes, Fenris ran to the nearest window, trying to catch his reflection in it. Yet it was the same. His face and neck were also free of the markings!

"By the Maker..." Fenris whispered when he noticed something else about his reflection... Poking and pulling at his skin, it seemed impossible... Yet it was true.

"I am... a child?" Although to be honest, _child_ was pushing it a bit. He seemed to be the age of a lad just approaching manhood, probably no more than fifteen or sixteen years of age. Still, it was unsettling.

"You there! Elf! You get away from my window, you thief!" an old woman yelled from the front yard of the house he stood at. When the woman came at him with the broom, Fenris stumbled backwards trying to escape.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean any harm!" Fenris yelled as he covered his face as the woman beat him with her broom.

"That's enough Mrs. Elaine!" Fenris turned his head at the familiar sound, however he was still being hit by the blasted woman. "I said that is enough! Stop hitting the poor boy!" a young girl said before taking the broom from the woman's hands.

"Oh he is no boy, Iris. Trust me, I know their kind. I used to live in Denerim you know, and I was robbed three times by his ilk. Sure, he seems innocent enough, but that's when they get you. Make them seem all trusting, then when you turn around, all your valuables are gone and so is he!" the woman cursed as she took her broom back. "And who are you to talk to your elders as such. I swear, when I was child, children respected their elders. Just you wait 'til I tell your father, Malcolm about this."

"Go ahead, you old crone! And I will tell Farmer Samual's wife how you raided her chicken's nests last week." the young girl spat back defiantly, crossing her arms for added effect. Violet fire shone from her young eyes as she confronted the old woman.

"Hmph! Blasted children!" the old woman replied before marching back into her house.

The girl's features softening when the woman left, and the girl turned to face Fenris, offering her hand out to him. "Sorry about that. She is a menace to everyone, trust me. Even I have felt that broom across my back a few times." the girl said with a smile.

Fenris knew he should accept her hand, or say thank you, or do _anything_ really. Yet he couldn't move as he looked up into the very eyes that seared his soul so many years ago. They were in a younger face to be sure, yet Fenris was sure it was her!

"H-Hawke...?" Fenris finally managed to utter.

"That's my last name. Do you know our family? I didn't think my parents knew any elves." The girl replied innocently as he took her hand and stood up. "My name is Iris. What is yours?"

"Fenris..."

"Well Fenris, nice to meet you. You know, you look awfully familiar. Have we met before?"

Fenris didn't know how to respond to that. He knew this was his Hawke, yet she was no more than a child. However, there was no mistaking her violet eyes and how they burned with fire just a few moments ago. Fenris had seen that look many times, even directed at himself on more than a few occasions. But how to tell _her_ that? Was this really the past? What had that creature done to him?

"Um... I am not sure."

"It's just, your eyes. I feel like I have seen them somewhere before..." Iris softly stated as she stepped closer to him. Lifting her hand, she looked almost in a trance as she reached out to touch Fenris' face.

"Iris! Where are you girl! We will be late for service!"

Suddenly, Iris' eyes darkened with horror and fear. And something else... _resignation_? Dropping her hand just a few inches from his face, Fenris almost cursed when he saw her eyes fill with tears before she tried to blink them away.

"I am sorry, Fenris. But I must go. It was nice to meet you." She stated with a sad smile before she turned to leave. However, Fenris couldn't let her go like that. Reaching out, he took her hand in his. However the words he wanted to say seemed to vanish before he could even form them in his mind.

"Wait... Iris... I uh..."

"Iris! By the Maker, where is that child?" the voice called again. Iris looked back towards her parents for a moment before looking again at the familiar elf.

"Look, we are just going to services at the Chantry. Why don't you join us?"

_"Are you mad girl? What happens when Ser Mavrick comes?" _Iris mentally chided herself.

"I would like that." Fenris replied with a warm smile. He didn't know why, but he felt it was important to follow her, to somehow keep to her safe. Iris herself felt stunned at the smile the young elf gave her. It seemed to call out to something within her, yet she couldn't understand what it was.

"Iris!"

"Coming father!" Iris yelled back before dragging Fenris along with her. She didn't know why this boy felt so familiar to her, yet she found herself suddenly feeling safe just by being around him. Maybe if he were there next to her, perhaps Ser Mavrick wouldn't keep her after services again...

* * *

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* * *

_****Still Within the Fade****_

Justice opened his eyes to once again find himself in the Fade. And once more, he was in control of the body he shared with his mage friend Anders. Feeling the power course through him that came whenever he returned to the Fade, Justice again wished he could return here permanently. He knew it was a foolish idea to join bodies with the mage, yet at the time, he actually felt fear. Fear that when the body that was once Kristoff decayed too badly to stay together, that he would fade altogether from existence.

Looking around now, though, Justice's strong longing to be as he once was strengthened even more. To be free of all the troubling emotions of the mortal realm was something he wished for constantly. Justice felt his corruption almost as soon as he joined with Anders, yet his own fear had kept in place even after all the wrongs he had committed through actions of Vengeance. Even killing Hawke was not enough to make him flee from Anders. Honestly, neither of them were sure it was even possible anymore. So Justice just retreated into the background of his mind, forcing himself to stay dormant and cloaking himself from his friend's mind.

Yet now, because of that witch, he was back where he belonged - in the Fade. Justice couldn't fathom what the witch thought he could do to aid the woman both he and Anders have come to love. Yes, in a strange way Justice loved Hawke as well. Perhaps it was only him feeling the emotions of Anders himself, however that didn't stop how he felt. Cursing, the image of Hawke lying on that bed came back to him. Through Anders' eyes, Justice could see the results of his anger, and it shamed him ever so much more. However, he felt lost when it came to exactly _what_ he was supposed to do.

Standing on a road that seemed to go on forever, Justice closed his eyes and tried to sense anything that could aid him. After a few moments, Justice's eyes snapped open as he felt the tremor in the Fade that a powerful demon created.

Unsure if it had anything to do with Hawke or not, Justice took a chance and started chasing after the demon he sensed. If nothing else, it would help him excercise his atrophied powers when he rid the Fade of the demon.

* * *

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* * *

_****Somewhere Near Sundermount****_

The black-haired woman opened the door to where she knew where her mother waited. Cursing her old friend, she onceed believed that she was finally free of the controlling old crone. However, fate wasn't kind to her of late, it seemed.

The room she stepped into positively dripped dark and foreboding. The walls painted a glimmering black - or a deep blood-red. Either was possible in the low light from the moon that shone from the window. Empty except for a few eerily carved yet finely crafted chairs and a table, the room seemed to fit her mother perfectly.

"The spirit?"

The black-haired woman crossed her arms over her chest as she took in her mother's new appearance. "Horns, now it is, mother? I thought you found them too bothersome?"

The white-haired witch slowly turned to face her daughter. A deadly smile on her lips, she knew the game her daughter played. "They were, but I thought I would bring them back into style. Oh, what a slave I am to current fashions!" the older woman laughed dryly. "Enough of this though." she continued, waving her hand dismissively. "The spirit. Did you do as I asked, child?"

The younger woman's eyes narrowed, curious as to what her mother's real plan was. "He is in the Fade, just as you wanted. I still do not see the point in all this, however."

The older woman cackled as she moved to sit down in one of the chairs that was by the window. Skulls and dragon heads were carved along it, with each arm ending in stylized claws.

"Simple, child. I have seen the chaos and disorder that is to come from the actions of this woman and her friends in Kirkwall. Especially concerning that foolish mage, Anders. However, due to his own incompetence, he set forward a chain of events that would have changed all that. This much you know. However, what do you do not know is that the chaos to come will eventually bring back the time of the Tevinter Imperium if played correctly. And with them, all the Old Gods of long ago."

"Most are dead or doomed to be tainted, though."

"Ah... But not all of them." the elder woman replied as she stood up and walked over toher daughter. "You see, this is where you come in, dear child."

"No! You promised me that I would have back what you stole if I performed your little task!" The anger in the younger woman's eyes spit deadly fire, yet it didn't seem to affect her elder in the slightest. Instead, the room filled with the elder's chilling cackle.

"I promised no such thing child! If I remember correctly, I merely stated that if you wanted to _**see**_it again, you would do as your told. And I shall keep **_that_**promise."

The old woman waved her hand and a black smoke appeared a few feet away, a moment later slowly unfurling itself to reveal a small child. With long black hair, pale white skin, and dressed in a white nightgown, she looked the picture of innocence as she stood there holding a stuffed bear. Instantly, the younger woman's expression softened and tears appeared in the corner of her eyes as she looked down on the child. Reaching out her hand, she tried to reach the child who was just mere feet away.

"Mommy?" The child asked softly when she saw the two women. The younger of the two tried to run to the child, yet smoke again covered the child and again she was gone.

"Bring her back!" the younger woman angrily yelled as she faced her mother as few stray tears ran down her cheeks.

"Honestly, you should have known better, child. You should have known that I couldn't be killed so easily, or that I would not find you again. However, I truly was surprised to see you with that child. Acting all loving even with the little wretch! I thought I taught you better than that, _Morrigan_."

"Bring Riel back, _mother_, or so help me there will no place for you to hide from my wrath!"

"Tsk, tsk. You know nothing in this world comes freely."

"I have done your task!"

"One of them, yes. But there is still much left to do, child. This world's future will not create itself, you know." The older woman cackled evilly as she returned to her seat. "Now child, come sit while mommy dearest tells you a few tales that have nearly become all but forgotten."

"I **hate** you."

"Now **that** is the right attitude for a child to have for its parent! And don't you worry. If you fail me again, by the time I am done with your sweet little Riel, I think she really will live up to her namesake. At least physically, anyway." The old woman replied with completely evil grin and matching glare.

* * *

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* * *

_****Inside a Chantry, Somewhere in the Fade****_

"It was nice of Iris to invite you along, Fenris. Do you live around here?" Iris' mother Leandra asked.

Fenris blushed, unsure of how to answer.

"Leave him be mother! I swear you all have been obsessed with questioning him since I first introduced you to him!" Iris replied with a deep scowl. Which on a thirteen year old Iris, was quite humorous. Fenris remembered that look from when she was older, and seeing it now as a child, it made him want to burst out laughing. Compared to the same look Hawke developed later on, this one was positively adorable.

"Are you really an elf?" asked Bethany, causing Fenris to smile broadly at the girl.

"Of course he is, silly! Look at his ears!" Carver replied curtly, showing the typical annoyance a brother showed for a sister as he pointed to Fenris' head.

"Enough you three! I swear the Reverend Mother herself is going to come back here and scold you if you do not keep quiet!" Malcolm hissed at his children. After seeing the cross look their father had, all three of them settled back into their seats. Incredibly Iris again sat next to him, taking his hand in her own.

Ever since their hands first joined when they met, Iris barely let go of him. She also insisted on Fenris sitting with them during the service, which triggered a whole host of whispers and strange looks from those around them. However, Iris didn't seem to even notice, or if she did, she didn't care. She even still held onto his hand and smiled up at him whenever their eyes met.

Soon enough, the service ended and everyone stood to gather their things and head back home. Again unsure as what to do, all Fenris knew what that he needed to get Iris alone so he could talk to her and try to figure out what was happening.

"Would like to come home with us for our midday meal, Fenris? I just baked a fresh loaf of bread this morning and we have lots of honey left." Leandra asked sweetly.

Iris was about to voice her opinion of how she would love for Fenris to join them, however, a familiar feeling of dread dropped into her stomach like a weight. Just mere seconds later, Iris felt the heavy hand of Ser Mavrick on her shoulder.

"Ser Mavrick! It's good to see you again!" Malcolm said as he joyously greeted the templar knight. Fenris could feel Iris' grip on his hand tighten dramatically when the templar appeared. Looking at her, he almost crumpled at the hurt and fear in her eyes as she stared at him.

"Hello again Ser Hawke. I am sorry to interrupt you, but if you don't mind, I would like to speak with your daughter, Isis for just a brief moment."

Everything was happening again as it did before, and inside Iris could feel the scream begging to be let out. Yet she knew no one would believe her. They never did.

Fenris was lost at what do to. In his present form, he was no match for the much older templar. However, something within him still screamed at him to not let his Iris go with this man. A feeling that only increased as he saw Iris quietly mouth the words '_help me_' to him.

"Is there a problem, Ser Knight?" Leandra asked in concern.

"No, miss. Not at all. It's just young Isis here forgot something during our last sparing match. I would only see it returned to her, as well as a good lecture on not forgetting one's belongings."

"Um, Madame Hawke? Thank you for the offer, but your daughter Iris here promised to help me find my mother. We got separated when we travelled here, yet she told me that she would be here in Lothering if I ever could not find her." Fenris quickly stated, hoping he could still lie as effectively as a child as he did as a grown man.

There was a silence the proceeded his question as Iris' parents considered the offer, and for a brief moment, Iris actually allowed herself to hope for freedom from her curse.

"Couldn't it wait _knife-ear_? I am sure there are other people willing to waste their time looking for your mother." Ser Mavrick spat back. For an instant, Fenris could almost swear he saw something gleam in the templar's eyes. Something not quite _human_.

"Please, Ser Knight. She is all I have left. The rest of my family was killed by raiders on our way here. Young Miss Iris here promised to show me around while we searched." lied Fenris.

"**NO**! Iris must come with me now!" yelled Ser Mavrick. This time Fenris **did** see the slight change in the templar's features. Like he was having trouble holding his body together. Roughly the templar started dragging Iris back into the Chantry toward the living quarters for the knights.

"Please! No, mother! Father! Please, I don't want to go! Fenris!" Iris screamed out. However everyone there just seemed not even to notice or even hear her pleas.

"I am sure she will be fine, Leandra. Come, let us return home and have our midday meal. Iris will come back when Ser Mavrick is done, I am sure." Malcolm stated coldly.

Fenris couldn't believe how callous her father was being! However, he was not about to let his Iris be ripped away like this. Fenris tried to run after her and the knight but Iris' father stopped him by grabbing his arm. Fenris snarled at the contact and again wished he had his old body back.

"Leave them be, _slave_. This doesn't concern you." hissed Malcolm as same type of distortion appearing in his eyes that the knight had earlier.

"How could you let your own daughter to be taken like that? There is something **very** wrong here!" Fenris screamed before taking off towards where Iris was taken. However his path was suddenly blocked by dozens of demons. It seemed like the whole town was nothing but demons of different varieties, and currently they all stood between him and his Iris.

"I don't know how you got here, _slave_. But this does **not** concern you. Leave, or we shall feed on you as well!" the demon that used to be Iris' father exclaimed.

Fenris stood there stunned, yet he knew he couldn't just run away without Iris. She meant too much to him. And even though he had no weapons or armor, was nowhere near as strong as he used to be, and was even without the power of his lyrium markings, Fenris knew he wasn't leaving without her.

Even if it killed him.

* * *

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* * *

_****Just Outside of the Fade Version of Lothering****_

Rakshasa smiled as he approached the make-shift town. Immediately he could tell that this place was an illusion put in place by other demons, most likely for the woman he sought. Closing his eyes, he felt her presence near the center, in the town's place of worship.

_I am so close now. Soon, I will be free, and then the world shall be mine!_

Laughing, the demon ran to the doors of the Chantry. However, just as he placed one lyrium lined hand on the door handle, the demon froze as he felt a powerful presence behind him. Turning around slowly, Rakshasa felt a sudden and foreign hate for the creature he saw.

"Stop where you are! I know not who you are, but you are not the true holder of that body!" Justice yelled as he grabbed his staff.

"And what are you, hmmm? You reek of a spirit, yet you hold the form of a mortal." the demon hissed as he reached for his own sword.

"I am a Spirit of Justice. What pray tell are you, I wonder?"

Rakshasa chuckled as the two beings circled one another. Holding their weapons aloft, they began to size each other up, looking for weaknesses.

"You may call me Rakshasa. I remember your kind, spirit. Pitiful creatures who hide from the mortals who fall into this realm. You fear the very power that makes us superior to these mortals! Demons as I used to be showed no such fear as we chased after their souls. You are weak, spirit. Leave now or be consumed by something greater than yourself."

"I am no mere spirit, demon. I have tasted the life of the mortal realm and I care not for it. It is your kind that is weak. Demons such as you prey on mortals for a chance to feel what they do. Yet it is never enough, so you latch on like parasites to the mortals, draining them dry before moving on. My kind doesn't have such a _weakness_." Justice paused as his back came in line with the Chantry doors, putting himself directly between the demon and Hawke who Justice could sense inside.

"Out of my way, spirit! You stand between me and my freedom!" Rakshasa screamed as he ran at Justice with his blade. Blocking each of his attacks, Justice refused to let the demon past him. The demon growled louder, his anger causing his lyrium markings to glow brightly. Backing up a few steps, Rakshasa looked down at his arm before laughing wildly. "You are no match for me while the _Myva Vynra_ lies within me!"

Justice braced himself as Rakshasa turned ghost and launched another attack. However, unknown to the demon, Justice was used to the talent from Anders having fought alongside - and something against - Fenris over the years. Dodging his attack, Justice casted a Death Cloud, stunning the demon temporarily. Stepping around the demon, Justice then brought his staff around, striking his opponent right across the back of his neck.

Grunting, Rakshasa fell to his knees but recovered quickly and performed a leg sweep trying to knock Justice off his feet. Succeeding, now it was Justice on the ground as Rakshasa quickly stood and raised his blade above Justice, preparing to strike.

"I will **not** fall to one such as you, you _vile animal_!" Justice shouted as he blocked the attack with his staff. However, the demon continued to press down upon him, straining the wood of Justice's staff.

"You already have fallen, _mage_. It is but a moment to end such an _abomination_ such as you!" Rakshasa hissed back.

Feeling his staff about to buckle, Justice gathered his mana and shot out a powerful Mind Blast knocking the demon away. The demon flipped around in midair and landed gracefully in a partial kneeling position, however. Taking advantage of the brief moment between the next attack, Justice quickly stood and faced off against the demon again.

"As I said, _demon_, I am no mere spirit. And I will **not** let you have Hawke!" Justice cried out as he unleashed a ball of flame at Rakshasa.

Rakshasa just ran through the flames like they were nothing with his sword ready to strike again at Justice. Seeing how the flames did little to his foe, Justice instead opted for a Spirit Bolt which found its mark right in the center of the demon's chest, sending him flying backwards.

Panting heavily, Justice was about to launch another attack when the doors of the Chantry crashed open, the force behind such being a young elven boy. Landing in a heap near Justice's feet, Justice could see the boy barely lived. Covered in wounds and burns, he was shocked that the boy could even still move. Yet while grunting painfully, the boy somehow made it to his feet.

Wavering back and forth, Fenris could barely see anymore, yet he would not give up while he was still alive. He **would** rescue his Iris, no matter what it took. Trying to raise him arms in an offensive position, Fenris cursed when his left arm refused to function. The pain in his body joining into a combined throb that threatened to topple him, Fenris was suddenly thankful for all the years he lived with the pain of his lyrium. Learning long ago to funnel his pain and anger into his attack, he was sure that was the _only_ reason he still breathed right now.

"Fenris?" Justice couldn't believe it, but there was no mistaking the badly broken and wounded boy who stood before him. That look of pure anger and hatred was something neither Justice nor Anders would ever forget. It was the same look Fenris gave him the night he killed Hawke. Fenris looked behind him at the familiar voice, and he almost broke out laughing at the irony of finding the one person he hated most in the world to be standing next to him in the Fade. However, the brief second that Fenris was distracted by Justice was enough for a Desire demon to painfully knock him aside the head, sending Fenris flying again. Trying to rise from the heap his body fell in, Fenris coughed up the blood that filled his mouth from the lastest attack.

"So, there you are _slave_. I must say, I am truly enjoying my new body. Tell me, are you enjoying_ yours_?" Rakshasa laughed evilly. During the commotion, the demon had regained his feet and gathered his strength before slowly approaching the young Fenris. "No? Oh, I thought you wanted to be _free of your markings_? How you wished to be young and free of your master's torture?" Laughing again, Rakshasa cruelly kicked Fenris over to his back.

Watching stunned, Justice felt torn as what to do. Anders, and indeed himself, despised the elf who had stolen Hawke's heart from him. Before the two of them met, it was _him_ that Hawke when to when she needed help or someone to talk to. Anders was just about to confront Hawke about something greater between them when she first met Fenris. Afterwards, the damnable elf was all Hawke could speak of!

Yet no matter how hard Justice try to convince himself to let the bastard die, he still couldn't forget the look on Hawke's face as she lay dying and she called out for Fenris. _He_ was the one she cared for. Not him. Anger boiling in his blood at the injustice of it, Justice turned against the demon anew. Using his anger at Fenris, Justice channelled his power to confront the demon who wore his rival's face instead.

Fenris watched in cold horror as the creature holding his face smiled wickedly down at him. Slowly, Rakshasa raised his blade, preparing to end his double's life. No longer cursing his old markings or all the pain they caused him, Fenris instead wished he still had even a fraction of his old power. Iris still needed him. Who knows _what_ that templar was doing to her. Yet here was, about to be killed by the very vision of himself that he always hated.

However, just before the blade came down, Rakshasa gasped in pain as a huge ice crystal pierced through his armor and his chest, protruding out to his front.

"It... can't be..." the demon whispered painfully before dropped his blade off to the side. Looking down at Fenris, the creature managed a weak smile before stating "This is not over, _boy_" and collapsing down onto Fenris.

However, as soon as the heavy body collided with his own, Fenris gasped. The pointed ice crystal that was sticking out of Rakshasa's chest pierced his own chest when the demon fell on him. His eyes going wide, Fenris could feel his heart slowing down and blood fill his mouth. The last thought that went through his mind was that it was irony that his wound was in the exact position that killed his Iris.


	14. A New Deal

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

In case many of you haven't guessed, I am planning on making this just the first story in a series that centers around events leading up the end of the game and afterwards. Also, as I use the back history of my other story, the additional stories that come from that will also all be part of the same Universe.

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

**Translations:**

**Asha'bellanar: Dalish title for Flemeth meaning "Woman of Many Years"**

* * *

Fenris opened his eyes and was immediately greeted by a searing burning that filled his entire body and the potent smell of lyrium all around him. Groaning he tried to push himself up off the ground, and in doing so caught the familiar sight of his gauntleted hand. Standing up fully, Fenris breathed in deeply as he again got used the constant pain in his body. Looking down at the spot he was, Fenris was surprised to see nothing to indicate the body of his younger self left.

"Interesting..." Fenris stated to himself.

"You there! Are you friend or foe!" Justice yelled over at him from where he was fighting off the various demons from the Chantry. Smiling at the question, Fenris bent down and picked up his sword from the ground.

"To you, _abomination_, I am definitely your foe. But only when there isn't other, more entertaining things to kill!" Fenris roared as he ran into the fray and began slashing at the demons that spilled forth. Taking full use of his powers and strength, between the two men the demons didn't last long.

"Well done. But where is Hawke?" Justice asked as the last demon fell to Fenris' blade. Raising his eyes to Justice, Fenris barely controlled his anger at seeing the mage again after what he did.

"That is none of **your** concern, _abomination_! Fade or no, you go near Hawke and I will cut you down!"

Justice was about to argue when his body started to shimmer as his consciousness was being pulled back to the mortal realm. Within moments, both the spirit and Anders were gone as if they were never there. Snarling at the mage's escape, Fenris ran towards the Chantry in search of Hawke. Seeing the door the templar dragged her through, Fenris ran through it and down into the long hall that lay past it. At first, the multitude of doors on either side seemed intimidating in his attempt to find Iris. However, her strained scream soon pointed the way.

"Shut up bitch!" Ser Mavrick yelled as he slapped Iris across the face and continued raping the her. Seeing the large man forcing himself on the woman he loved, Fenris snapped and raced forwards, plunging his hand into the man's chest through his back. Squeezing his heart in his hand, Fenris pulled what was left it out of his chest and pushed the templar off Iris.

"You think I am that easy to kill mortal?" Ser Mavrick laughed evilly before altering himself into the form of a powerful desire demon. Fenris shifted his sword and prepared to confront the demon. "Oh, you wish to fight me? But there are so many more _pleasurable things we can do_" the demon's words took on a haunting tone, seeping into Fenris' mind and feeling out his memories and emotions.

Suddenly the demon shifted forms into that of an adult Hawke, dressed in a barely there camisole and thong. Smiling seductively, the demon approached Fenris with a delicious walk that exuded sexual appeal.

Fenris knew this was a demon, yet was having trouble focusing his mind. His senses told him that this was his Hawke in front of him, she even smelled the same! However his heart knew better and knew that this was just a trick of the demon. Taking a look at the crying child, Iris, Fenris stoned himself against the demon who wore his love's face.

"What's wrong, Fenris? Don't you love me anymore? Come, lie with me. Everything will be better then. All your pain, those awful memories... I can make them all go away. Just like I did before. Come with me, Fenris." the demon beckoned as it reached up to kiss him.

"Never demon. There is only one woman I love, and _you are __**not**__ her!_" roared Fenris before ghosting his fist through the fake Hawke's chest. The demon buckled slightly but it's look of shock quickly was replaced with a devious grin. Pulling itself from Fenris' grasp, the demon again changed forms back to that of the desire demon.

"You should not spurn my gifts so easily, mortal! Unlike this pitiful woman, I can give you everything you desire. Power to destroy your enemies even. I felt your memory where you betrayed this woman once for that offer. Clearly it is something that is important to you. How's an even trade, hmm? You will have power enough to rival even the magisters of Tevinter! All I ask is that you leave the girl to me."

Shame filled Fenris as he remembered how he failed Hawke before. The pride demon's offer seduced him to do the unthinkable, and in so doing he nearly killed the woman he loved. _For what?_ For power? For revenge? None of that mattered now. The only thing that mattered to him was making sure his Iris was well again.

"Not this time, demon! I will not fall to your tricks again. I have faced my failings, and have come to know that even with all the power in the world, I am nothing without Hawke!" Fenris snarled before leaping forward and striking at the demon. The demon screeched in anger at being denied again and let loose a storm of magick at Fenris, blinding him enough to miss his attack. Shaking his head to help focus, Fenris again struck out at the demon. Swinging his blade furiously, the two danced back and forth around the small room completely oblivious to the small crying child on the bed.

Laughing, the demon hit Fenris with a powerful backfist to his temple that stunned the elf enough for the demon to kick him forcefully in the stomach followed by another punch to his jaw. Fenris stumbled back into the bed from the assault as his mind reeled from the pain. Snarling angrily, Fenris nearly struck the girl beside him when she grabbed his arm. With pleading eyes, the girl Iris looked so frightened and hurt that it felt like a knife in Fenris' heart. Offering her a quick smile, Fenris jumped off the bed with renewed vigor as he remembered just _who_ he was fighting for.

Calling on his lyrium backed powers, Fenris roared as he ghosted back and forth in a zig zag motion, confusing the demon who attacked him. However the confusion turned to pain-filled horror when Fenris ghosted past the demon andspun his body around, using his sword to slice the demon from head to toe. Shrieking one last time, the demon disappeared from sight, leaving just the young Iris and Fenris is the small room.

Replacing his sword to his back, Fenris walked slowly over to the frightened child with his arms out. Smiling down at her, he whispered to her that it was over now, and no one was going to hurt her again.

Sobbing uncontrollably, the girl Iris latched onto Fenris and refused to let go. Fenris ripped off his gauntlets one at a time, before wrapping his arms around her. Her tiny body melted against his own as he lifted her up from the dirty bed in which she was lying in. Holding on to her tightly, Fenris comforted her as best as he could by running his hand through her long hair and humming the same Dalish lullaby that he once hummed to Hawke.

However when he reached the door of the Chantry that led outside, the sobbing child in his arms shifted into the adult version. Looking up at him, Hawke looked surprised to see him.

"Fenris?" she whispered softly just before her body started to shimmer away like Justice's had. Growling, Fenris tried to keep hold of her yet within just moments she was gone from her arms. Screaming out, Fenris looked around, trying to figure out what was happening. Everything around him than began to shimmer and disappear as well, including himself. Cursing, Fenris hoped that when he awoke out of this place, his Iris would be saved.

* * *

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* * *

Groaning, Anders came awake with a powerful headache on the floor of Hawke's room. Looking around, he was momentarily confused as he wondered how he got there. Standing up with another groan, everything came back to Anders when he looked at the skeletal figure of Hawke lying in the bed next to him. Reaching out a hand to touch her, Anders stopped when he felt a powerful presence behind him.

"Well done. However, 'tis time you leave this place before those who live here awaken to find the apostate who killed their mistress standing in her room."

It was the black-haired woman from before, however she looked even more weary and upset now than before. Her dark menacing eyes seemed puffy, like she had recently been crying and the look her eyes held was filled with pain and resignation rather than the bitter anger from before.

"Will you tell me who you are now, witch?" Anders asked as he turned around to face the woman.

"Someone who has lost more than you can imagine due to your little stunt here a few weeks back. Because of you, something more precious to me than my own life is now under the control of my enemy. So t'would be wise to flee this place before I kill you out of spite, _mage_." the woman hissed back bitterly. The pain in her eyes could be heard in her voice and Anders wondered just what this woman had lost that would cause her so much pain.

"As you wish. However, I am **not** going back to the circle without a fight, witch. I am truly sorry for your loss, but I can be more effective at guarding Hawke from future enemies if I am free."

The witch scoffed sadly, finding his statement mildly amusing as well as ironic. "As much as I would love to see you fed alive to a pack of starving werewolves, your freedom is what our mutual acquaintance demands. So I will not stop you, _mage_." the woman replied angrily.

Anders began to walk past the witch but stopped when she again addressed him.

"Make no mistake, your part in this little play is far from over, _mage_. You walk free now because I have no choice but to allow it. However, a day will come when I am no longer burdened by the strings that control me, and I **promise** I will return and make you pay for what you have done to me" the witch cursed at him before turning into a bird and flying out the window.

The witch's dark tone sent chills down Anders spine at what his actions cost the woman. Sighing heavily, Anders quickly and quietly made his way out of the house before he was discovered.

* * *

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* * *

The sun was barely appearing over the trees when Fenris came awake. Quickly, he sat up trying to think where he was and what had happened. Looking around he saw his fellow companions sleeping around a small campfire and in the distance, he saw the what was left of the tower they had travelled to. It seems much of it was being held together by the creature's magick so now it looked much more badly dilapidated than it did before. Fenris was even amazed it still stood as he gazed upon the rotting wood and stone that barely held the tower together.

"Hey! You're awake! I knew you would wake up soon. Okay, maybe I was a little worried, but who wouldn't be? You just collapsed and poof! That creature was gone too! What happened to you? Do you remember at all? Do you-"

"Enough Daisy. The poor guy just opened his eyes." Varric groaned from his make-shift bed a few feet away. He hadn't even opened his eyes and still looked asleep if you weren't watching closely or noticed his trained grip in Bianca's trigger. Within a few minutes everyone was awake and stretching tight and aching joints. Merrill went about to re-lighting the camp fire for a morning tea while Varric excused himself - and Bianca - to go take a leak a few yards away. To their credit, none of them really questioned him what happened right away. Well, besides for Merrill, that is. And she's, well, special.

After Merrill handed him a cup of hot herbal tea and Varric returned Fenris finally managed to gather his thoughts enough to try to explain what happened. However, Fenris left out certain _elements_ of his Fade experience for the sake of Hawke's privacy. If she wanted to speak of it, that was her decision, not his.

"So Blondie was there too? How is that even possible?"

"I have no idea. But my more important worry is about Hawke and what happened to that creature."

"You don't need to worry about your woman, elf. Thanks to your effort, she should be well enough to awaken soon."

Everyone stood and grabbed for their weapons at the appearance of a white-haired woman a few feet from their camp.

"Flemeth!" Fenris snarled as he readied his weapon.

"Easy elf, I have no quarrel with any of you. In fact, for the time being you could even consider us _allies_."

"Asha'bellanar?" Upon seeing the old witch, Merrill laid down her staff and bowed slightly to the woman, irritating her companions to no end.

"See? This is the type of response I like. You all would do well to learn a few things from the Dalish!" Flemeth cackled loudly.

"What is it you want, witch?" Aveline asked coldly as she still clutched her axe and shield.

"Now _that_ is the question, isn't it?" Flemeth replied, putting the fingers of her hand to her chin and crossing her other arm across her chest in a thinking pose. "I want many things, child. For instance I wouldn't mind a nice cold ale in the middle of summer. But _that_ will still be some years in coming, I think." Flemeth again laughed her harsh cackle, sending chills down the companions' spines.

"No, I think right now the question is, _what do you all want_?" continued Flemeth as she walked closer to the group. "You are days away from Kirkwall yet your presence is needed there on a more immediate nature, I believe."

"You know, I am probably going to regret asking this, but what exactly are you going on about? Or is this just another round of 'let's all listen to the crazy old woman' time?" bantered Isabella.

"Ha ha! Such spirit! I love it!" Flemeth paused as another round of chilling cackles filled the air. "However, I have little time for such banter. It seems a certain a young woman is about to awaken amongst a flurry of questions and accusations from the powerful men and women of Kirkwall and beyond. Not to the mention those wonderful Qunari are just bursting at the seem to turn all of Kirkwall over to the Qun. And here you all are... Days from the city. So unfortunate."

"So why come here and tell us this, witch?" Aveline bitterly asked.

"Why? Ha ha! Why not? Perhaps I simply enjoy watching the torment and helplessness I see on your faces. Or perhaps I was honestly curious as to how you would all react to such news. To see whose emotions flare the highest at this new brewing trouble for our little heroine. The strength of true friendship and even love can be measured by how strongly people react to impending news, you see."

"Enough of your games, witch! If you have not come here to help us, then leave us so we may quickly return to Kirkwall as fast as we can." roared Fenris as he lifted his blade and pointed it at Flemeth.

"Oh, this is no game I assure you. The tale of what the future contains for the people of Thedas is far too complex for a simple game. No, my purpose here is to offer you a chance to turn your journey to Kirkwall from days to mere moments. At a price of course."

"Oh, I don't like this. Nothing good comes from making deals with witches. I think a read a book about that somewhere. Children. Ovens. Didn't end well."

"I agree with Varric. There is always a catch." Aveline stated flatly.

"Ha ha! There is always a catch! Everything is a catch! Life is catch! Or do you not remember this, Ser Knight?" cackled Flemeth.

"Enough. What do you want in return, witch?" Fenris snarled, lowering his blade.

"Oh just a simple task. It seems something has come into my possession that requires more... _attention_ than I can afford to give it right now."

"And what would that be?" asked Fenris.

"This."

A puff of smoke appeared in Flemeth's arms that swirled around before dissipating and revealing a small kitten. It was pure white except for a long strip of black going from the top of its head down to its tail and had pale icy blue eyes.

"You gotta be kidding me. A _cat_?" scoffed Varric. "What are we supposed to do with it?"

"What ever it is that keeps it alive, dwarf. This creature holds the key to the very future, and as such holds more value than any of your pathetic lives. This is what I purpose. I will have you all back in Kirkwall before the sun fully rises in the sky. In return, you care for this creature as if your very lives depend on it. Because _it does_."

The group of friends all looked at each other, sharing the same perplexed and stunned looks as the others. None of them had heard of such a thing before, yet they knew that things that involved Flemeth were never as simple as they looked.

"It's possessed, isn't it?"

"Ha! Not like you would assume, pirate. However, I will say this creature is not like any of the others of its kind."

"For how long do we care for it?" Merrill asked meekly.

"For as long as I require. The deal is simple. You keep this thing alive and healthy until I return for it, and I return you all to Kirkwall. Be thankful I do not ask you slay a dragon! Ha!"

Grumbling, Fenris re-sheathed his sword and slowly approached the witch and took the small kitten in his hands. "Very well, witch."

"Ha! I knew you couldn't resist such an easy task." Flemeth cackled and summoned a large swirling black cloud that reveal a functioning Eluvian. Merrill gasped loudly as she ran up the mirror and began to examine it.

"It's an Eluvian! And it works! Where did you get it? How did you manage to get it to work? Are there others like it? Do you know how to fix one? Can you show me how to operate it?"

"Slow down, child. There are many secrets left in this world to discover, and for one such as I, finding them is only a matter of time. However, they are a prize worth earning, not simply giving away, and you are far from earning such a prize." Flemeth coldly replied before addressing the rest of the companions. "This will take you to the young elf's home in Kirkwall. However, the one she possesses will still not function if you try to use it again. As I said, the secrets in this world are not just given away, and the secret to this one is far beyond any of your abilities."

"You have one of these, Merrill?" Aveline questioned the young Dale.

"Umm... No. I mean yes I do have an Eluvian, but it doesn't work. Not like this one does."

"Are you all going to stand around talking or are you going to go save your fearless leader?" chastised Flemeth as she gave the party an irritated glare. She already had spent too much time with these fools and other, much more time-consuming tasks yet to accomplish.

"Come on. We need to get back to Kirkwall." Aveline stated, sheathing her weapons and walking up to the mirror.

"Wait, you trust this?" asked Isabella.

Looking back over her shoulder at the pirate, Aveline smiled softly before replying. "Not in the slightest. But Hawke needs us. She has done so much to keep us alive over the years, so I willing to wager a bit of trust if it means saving her."

"Can't argue there, Red. Come on, Rivaini."

Slowly the group approached the mirror and one by one stepped through it. Fenris waited until all the others were through before addressing the witch with a deadly snarl.

"I do not know what you have planned, _witch_, but I will protect Hawke with everything I have. Even if that means one day facing you down and ripping your shriveled heart from your chest."

"I look forward to it, _elf_. Now get through before I lose my patience and leave you stranded here." Flemeth replied with a positively evil smile.

Fenris scowled deeply before stepping through the mirror himself. And as the cold liquid of the mirror closed around him, something inside told Fenris that one day he would have the chance to fulfill his threat to the witch.


	15. Awake

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Also, I am very sorry for the various spelling and grammar mistakes. I try to re-read through everything a couple of times, but I always wind up missing some! Thank you for your patience and continued readership as I try to edit my stories as best as I can.

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

Quickly the group made it up to Hightown after they stepped through the mirror in Merrill's house. True to the witch's word, it couldn't be activated again despite Merrill's repeated tries. Fenris wanted to leave the cat at the other elf's home, yet was convinced otherwise by his companions because of how easily the thing could escape through one of the many holes in the walls. It didn't help that the cat seemed stuck in the brooding elf's arms, either. Whenever Fenris tried to put the cat down, it latched tightly to him with its claws. Even when he tried to hand the thing off to one of the others, the cat refused to budge. Grumbling and mumbling a few swears in Arcanum, Fenris eventually gave in and allowed the little creature to remain with him.

Finally they arrived at Hawke's estate and banged loudly on her door. Being just midday, it wasn't long before the door was opened. Looking up at the intimidating group at the door, Orana nearly ran for cover when she opened the door.

"Wha-wha-what are you doing...?"

Poor girl was still so skittish when it came to others, and it only got worse after everything that happened recently.

"Easy girl. We are here to see Hawke." Aveline replied with a smile, trying to calm the girl down. Smiling shyly in return, the small elven servant opened the door wider for the companions to enter properly into the house.

"What's this? Sandal!" Bodahn exclaimed when he saw the group standing in the entrance hall.

"Father!" Sandal yelled back as he ran for Bodahn. Catching him in a tight hug, the two dwarves laughed slightly as they embraced.

"What happened? Is everything alright? Did my boy help you find anything?"

"Sandal was a big help, Serah Bodahn. It was because of his enchantments that we made it as far as we did. You should be proud of your boy." Aveline stated with a broad smile. Bodahn chuckled and placed his arm around his son's shoulders.

"Oh, I am Captain. I've always known my boy was special." replied Bodahn with a proud smile.

"We came to see Hawke." interjected Fenris impatiently.

"Of course, of course. Although, I have to warn you before you see her..."

"What is it? Has something happened?" Isabella asked.

"You see, after you left..."

"Messares! Messares! Quick! Call the First Enchanter!" yelled the Chantry nurse from the top of the stairs. With blinding speed Fenris shot up the stairs into the room Hawke was using before another word could be spoken.

"What is it, Maylie?" called Bodahn as the rest of the group and the two dwarves raced up the stairs behind Fenris.

"She is awake, messare! The mistress is awake!"

Inside the room, Fenris nearly fell to his knees as he saw the skeletal figure of Hawke move slightly on the bed. Walking slowly to her, he didn't even notice when the cat he carried leapt from his arms onto the bed and settled beside Hawke's legs. Looking down on her, Fenris nearly screamed at the sight of his beautiful Hawke, barely more than skin and bones.

Fenris kneeled down beside her bed and cried silently as he cursed himself for taking so long to find a way to heal her. However he was jarred out of his thoughts when he saw Hawke's eyes flutter and her hand move slightly. Gently Fenris reached out and carefully took the hand that moved into his own.

"Iris?" Fenris whispered softly. Again Hawke's eyes fluttered then opened a fraction followed by a small groan from her.

"F-Fen-Fen-"

"Shh... Don't try to speak, Iris."

"Oh my!" Merrill gasped when Hawke's companions filed into the room. Everyone stood shocked and slightly appalled at how Hawke looked on the bed where she laid. Before they had left, she had looked very pale and was loosing weight rapidly, yet she still looked alive. Now, she looked more like a wraith than a human.

Fenris looked up at the others and felt himself grow angry at the horror on their faces. He knew that Hawke would hate for everyone to see her like this. The woman who prided herself on being strong for her friends and who worked hard to never show weakness in front of them would hate to be on display like this to those who relied on her - friends or not.

"Out! All of you! Get out!" Fenris snarled angrily from by the bed. Instead of moving however, the others just continued to stand there, confused as to why they had to leave so suddenly. When Fenris saw that they still were not moving to leave, he stood up and again barked at them to leave the room.

"Leave!" shouted Fenris, pointing to the door that led out to the hall.

"No! Why should we leave? Who gave you the right to order us around like that?" Aveline roared back. Anger sparked between the two warriors in frightening intensity.

"Please, leave us, children..."

They all looked over to see Grand Cleric Elthina standing in the doorway to the room, looking as calm and collected as she ever did despite the rising tension in the room and Hawke's deathly visage.

"Grand Cleric!" gasped Aveline who bowed slightly when she saw the elderly leader of the Chantry in Kirkwall.

"Please, wait downstairs my children. I am sure Madame Hawke would prefer not to be gawked at like some strange creature." Elthina stated a bit more forcefully before walking slowly over the edge of the bed. After a moment to gather themselves after the shock of seeing such an important figure in Hawke's home, the companions left dutifully and quietly. However Fenris refused to budge from his position by the bed. Grand Cleric or not, he was not about to leave his Hawke alone with anyone.

"Fenris?" Elthina calmly asked when she saw the determined look on the elf's face. "I need your assistance if you don't mind." she replied calmly. "Could you please close the door?"

Without a word, Fenris quietly closed the bedroom door and walked back over the bed and resumed his position of guarding his Hawke. Grief ate at him as he looked down her, though. He didn't know how she had remained alive while looking like that, and a part of him wondered if he should be thankful she was alive or curse the pain she must be in while in such a state.

"Will you please wait with me until the First Enchanter arrives? I think Hawke would prefer someone she felt comfortable with while she slowly comes back to this world."

"Of course, Grand Cleric." replied Fenris stoically. Personally, Fenris didn't really care for the Chantry, however at this moment he was thankful that she had managed to do what he could not. He was also thankful the woman understood his need to remain by Hawke's side. Silently, Fenris knelt down and gently and carefully took Hawke's hand into his own again. Again, he was amazed at how frail she looked.

"She lives due to dark and powerful magick. Something I find myself worrying about given the state of things in Kirkwall and the unrest between the mages and the templars." Elthina stated softly as she drew closer to Fenris.

"She is **_not_** possessed!"

"Perhaps. However, I do not think that even I can convince the Knight Commander of such if the full details of this are made known to her."

"_If..._?" asked Fenris.

"Indeed. However, I believe everyone deserves their dignity at such times. I am sure the Knight Commander will understand when I explain to her that only a select few close associates should see such a budding influence on our city in a state of such disarray. We do not need word getting around of just how _sick_ Madame Hawke is. Who knows the rumors that might arise."

Fenris chuckled at the Grand Cleric's words. He had to give the woman credit; she knew how to keep things like this silent.

"Thank you, Grand Cleric." he whispered in gratitude.

"Don't get me wrong, child. The Knight Commander will want full details about your travels and just how Madame Hawke regained consciousness. Although, perhaps for the time being it should be only myself and Orsino who brief Meredith on recent events."

"Yes, Grand Cleric."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I think I shall go speak with your companions." Elthina nodded swiftly to Fenris before quietly leaving the room and shutting the door behind her, giving Fenris and Hawke some privacy.

Thinking back, Fenris cursed again at how long it had taken for them to reach the tower with the creature in it. In truth, he wasn't even sure how long they battled their way through the creature's tests and trials. Time seemed to move differently within the castle's walls to point where Fenris wasn't even sure what day it was anymore or how long they were gone.

"Fenris?" Hawke whispered weakly, causing Fenris' to focus back on the present.

"Shh, Iris. Everything will be alright. I promise." However, Fenris wasn't sure he believed that himself. Carefully he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her hand, hoping that even in such a state she could feel him close to her. Tears again began to fill his eyes as he rested his forehead on the edge of the bed. He felt so useless; so helpless. Even after all they did, it still looked like Hawke could die at any moment.

"Meow..."

Lifting his head up, Fenris chuckled softly in despair as he saw the all but forgotten kitten beside Hawke. It had silently climbed its way up the bed before sniffing gently at Hawke's arm. Fenris wanted to shoo the cat away, angry that it remained healthy and full of life while his Hawke still suffered. So when the small kitten climbed up on Hawke's chest and laid down, Fenris' heart almost stopped. Totally oblivious to the state the woman it laid on, the cat just settled down and began to purr furiously.

Fenris was about to rip the cat from Hawke's chest and toss it against the wall but was stopped when an eerie light started to come from the cat. The soft green light then quickly flooded over Hawke's body, growing brighter as it grew. Fenris gasped as the light lifted Hawke a few inches off the bed and began to swirl around her at a high-speed.

He then watched in silent amazement as slowly Hawke's skin started to plump out and return to normal. In a matter of minutes, her awful skeletal appearance disappeared and was replaced by how Hawke used to look. Her skin tone returned to normal and the dark circles around her eyes vanished as she returned to normal. Even her hair returned to the full and thick bounty that it was before.

So shocked by what he witnessed that Fenris fell back onto his rear end as he silently watched the light slowly lower Hawke back to her bed. However his hand touched something unfamiliar and looking down, Fenris felt like cursing. In his hand was one of the feathers that the mage Anders used in his feathered coat. The feathers were unique enough that Fenris knew that the only place such feather could come from is if Anders was here himself. There might have been an excuse if they were in Hawke's room, but she was still laying on her mother's bed. Growling softly, Fenris almost missed it when Hawke's eyes opened for the first real time since she died.

"Hawke!" Fenris exclaimed, dropping the feather and forgetting his anger as he looked into the liquid violet pools he thought he would never see again. Taking her hand in his own, Fenris leaned down and kissed Hawke's forehead. However he stopped when he heard Hawke cry out softly in pain. Realizing he still had his armor on, Fenris quickly tore it from him so he was only in his tunic and trousers.

"I'm so sorry, Iris! I forgot I still had it on. Did I hurt you?"

The concern was so deep in his voice that it brought tears to Hawke's eyes. In truth, everything in her body hurt. Even her skin felt like it was stretched and pulled till it was raw from the effort. However, feeling Fenris so close and his hand holding hers, she felt like weeping solely from how good it felt.

"By the Maker! Hawke, you're alive! I thought I lost you!" cried Fenris. Carefully he placed his free hand against her cheek and laid his forehead against her own. Again, Hawke tried to speak, yet her throat was just as sore and dry as the rest of her. Noticing her trying to say something, he tried to think of something that would help.

"What can I get you? Anything. Anything at all. I would bring down all of Kirkwall for you."

Hawke felt like laughing at how he expressed himself. Usually, Fenris was either completely stoic that it was hard for even her to grasp at what he was thinking or feeling, or he was angry and ready to kill something. Now, he looked liked he did when he came to her after her mother died. However, her throat felt so dry she could barely make any sound at all. Instead, she tried to lift a heavy arm to motion at her throat. Although it probably looked a lot different from what she intended as she felt so weak she could barely lift her appendage.

Thankfully, Fenris seemed to understand her motions and nodded quickly at her before he ran to the door. "Water! Fetch some water for Hawke!" Fenris bellowed out from the doorway. Down below Bodahn rose from his seat and dashed off to the kitchen to fill a basin with fresh water. The rest of his companions who also sat in the main room looked up at him with expectant faces, hoping for some kind of news.

Fenris knew they were eager to return to the room so they could see Hawke, however he immediately felt himself shift into a protective stance at the thought. He didn't feel like inviting them all clamouring up the stairs to gawk further at his woman. Sure, his Hawke was beginning to look normal again for some unknown reason, yet he knew she still needed time. The fact that Fenris was enjoying having her all to himself at the moment probably had a lot to do with how he felt, but he refused to think of that at this time.

"How is she, Broody?" Varric asked from the bottom of the stairs. Fenris glared a warning at him, as if challenging his right to even inquire about Hawke.

"She is... getting better." Fenris finally uttered as he continued to glare a warning down at the rest of his companions.

"Perhaps it is best if you all retire for the day and leave the rest to us. I am sure there are many things that need attending to seeing as how long you were gone. Especially you, madame guard captain." Elthina coldly stated as she gave Aveline a pointed glare.

"Pardon my asking, your excellency, but just _how long_ have we been gone?" Varric asked after he placed Bianca in her sheath on his back.

At first Grand Cleric Elthina just stared at them blankly for a moment before answering softly. "Two months."

You could have heard a pin drop in the room from how silent everyone became at the revelation. The whole crew stood open-eyed and slack jaw as the Grand Cleric's answer sunk in.

"Awe, you're shitting me!"

"Maker..."

"By the Creators..."

"You're kidding, right? Damn!"

Elthina waited for a few moments before speaking again, still intent on having them leave Hawke and her elven consort in some semblance of peace before word got to the Knight Commander and she flooded the estate with her templars.

"If it were not for the dwarf Bodahn, none of us would have known what had happened to all of you. Speaking of which, do you have your madam's water yet, dwarf?"

"Yes messare, I mean Grand Cleric!" stammered Bodahn as he carried the basin up the stairs carefully.

"Good. Now please, Madame Hawke needs some rest. I will personally make sure you remain updated and perhaps you could even visit tomorrow - one at a time." Elthina replied sternly. She could tell Hawke's friends wanted to argue with her, but didn't most likely because of her position. Being Grand Cleric certainly had its boons at times.

"Yes your excellency. Come on, you lot." Aveline stated with a bow to the Grand Cleric before ushering out her companions. Before the door closed behind them, Elthina could hear plans being made for them to meet at the Lowtown bar the Hanged Man later. Well, at least she knew where they could all be reached then if the need arrived.

Fenris took the basin of water from Bodahn's hands and turned to place it on one of the nearby tables. However before he could keep the dwarf out of the room Bodahn came in and uncharacteristically cursed when he saw Hawke's now healthier form.

"Out dwarf!" shouted Fenris as he practically pushed Bodahn out the door. So consumed in his intention to keep others from seeing Hawke, Fenris nearly barked at Elthina was she appeared at the door.

"I understand, child. However, I would like see how our dear lady is doing. We don't have much time before Orsino and Meredith get here and I would like a few moments to see that Hawke is indeed getting better for myself."

Fenris knew it wasn't a request, no matter how it may have sounded. The look of authority and determination in the Grand Cleric's eyes spoke how serious she was and how she intended to see Hawke for herself despite how much Fenris objected. He was welcome to force the Grand Cleric from the room, of course. However, that wouldn't do much except to have him thrown in the Gallows on crimes of assaulting - or even possibly killing given how volatile Fenris' mood was - the Grand Cleric. Something that would guarantee that he never saw Hawke again.

So Fenris only huffed quietly as he stepped aside to let Elthina into the room. After he closed the door behind her, Fenris went to pour a glass of water and took it over to where Hawke waited. Still laying flat on her back, Fenris laid the water down on the night table and tried to gently lift Hawke so she could sit up, however she didn't even seem to have the strength required to even do that. Cursing, Fenris felt lost as to what to do. Comforting and aiding the ill was not something he was used to and again he felt useless in something that he knew he should be able to do.

Elthina however saw Fenris and Hawke struggling and brought some pillows over from various places around the room. Without a word she offered them to Fenris then proceeded to help show him how to prop up Hawke's weakened body comfortably on the pillows so was able to drink with ease. Fenris smiled in appreciation at the elder woman before offering Hawke some of the water from the glass. However, he again felt himself blush when he realized that Hawke couldn't even hold the glass herself.

Hawke herself was getting rather frustrated and angry at how her body refused to listen to her. Never before had she felt this weak and drained before. Not to mention that every time they moved her, her skin burned as it rubbed against something. At least whoever took care of her before had sense enough to dress her in a long nightgown, however it didn't help when the gown itself rubbed against her skin. Everything felt like harsh sandpaper against her skin, yet Hawke still wasn't sure what was worse. Her burning skin or her aching muscles that screamed out in protest at every slight movement.

Hawke tried not voice her pain, yet she was sure it could be seen on her face judging from the constant whispered apologies from Fenris. However, finally Hawke was in a good enough position to be able to drink, only to again become embarrassed at her weakness as she couldn't seem to wrap her fingers around the glass that was offered to her. Hawke felt like weeping at this point, frustrated at her weakness and in agony from her body. Her throat craved water like a man stranded in a desert, yet she couldn't even lift a glass to quench her painful thirst. The irony of it all nearly broke her even when everything else didn't. Closing her eyes against the incoming tears, Hawke inwardly cursed again and again at her useless body.

Just when she felt the first tear roll down her cheek, Hawke felt a cool liquid at her dry lips. Opening her eyes Hawke was surprised to see Fenris holding the glass carefully to her lips. The simple action of it drove more tears down her face, yet it was more out of gratitude than her previous misery. Carefully she opened her mouth to let the liquid in and nearly moaned at how good it felt. Slowly she allowed the liquid to quench the dry ache in her throat, yet the first time she swallowed, she erupted in a coughing fit that made the previous agony of moving seem like nothing in comparison.

However Fenris was right there, holding her close to him and rubbing her back in an effort to calm her choking. Even though her skin hurt from his efforts, Hawke would never forget the simple actions of her strong and proud warrior tending to her gently. At once the image seemed so at odds with itself, yet also seemed to fit perfectly with who Hawke knew Fenris to truly be behind his rough and violent exterior.

"Easy child. Your body is getting used to being alive again. As much as the thirst must pain you, drink slowly. There is plenty of water waiting for when you are finished with this glass." Elthina said softly. In fact, her tone was softer than Fenris could ever remember it being.

Again Fenris brought the glass to her lips and this time Hawke drank it more slowly. Soon the glass was empty and for the first time since she opened her eyes, Hawke felt like she could actually breathe without her throat catching on fire. Still her body ached, but she took what reliefs she could at the moment. She still wasn't clear on what happened to her or why she was in her mother's room, but she trusted in Fenris and knew that eventually things would become more clear.

Just as Fenris came back with a fresh glass of water a knock sounded on the door to the room. Giving Hawke and Fenris a glare that told them to be silent, Elthina went quickly to the door and opened it slightly. A male voice could be heard and Elthina's whispers back, yet none of it was clear to the young couple on the bed. After a few minutes Elthina closed the door and motioned for Fenris to join her by the door.

Placing the glass back on the night table, Fenris stood up from his seat next to Hawke on the bed and went over to where Elthina stood.

"Orsino and Meredith are waiting downstairs. I managed to hold them for the moment, but there are questions that need to be answered." Elthina quietly spoke to Fenris. "One of the questions that _I_ do not have however, is how our young Hawke seemed to regain much of her health so quickly. Do you have an acceptable answer for me to give to the others?"

Fenris cursed inwardly as he remembered the cat that Flemeth gave to him and how it seemed to heal Hawke. He knew though that such an answer would only cause more problems and would even have the blasted cat killed by the templars thinking it was possessed. It probably was, but for now Fenris needed the thing to stay alive or else he risked the powerful witch's vengeance. Something that he didn't feel like even considering at the moment.

"None that would make the situation better, only worse, I'm afraid." Fenris replied in a somewhat contrite manner. As he watched the Grand Cleric think on his answer, Fenris hoped it would be enough for the woman. So far she seemed to be extremely forgiving of all the secrets and magicks that were involved in Hawke's miraculous recovery, and Fenris hoped she would continue to be so. After all, there were some things that not even he could answer.

"Very well. For now, Hawke's previous _'appearance'_ shall remain between those who witnessed it. Your friends do not seem the sort to speak openly to Meredith's guards or strangers outside of your group, thankfully. I will deal with Chantry nurse myself, and the servants here are utterly devoted to their mistress." Elthina finally replied. Her tone spoke of the frustration she felt concerning everything that happened combined with how she would have to deal with her two counterparts in order to maintain the peace.

"Thank you, Grand Cleric."

"Yes, well, the Maker sometimes requires his servants to... speak only that which is _necessary_. Something I have much experience in since I joined the Chantry as a child."

Elthina nodded curtly before going to the door again and letting in both Orsino and Meredith into the room. Immediately Meredith glared questioningly at the Grand Cleric yet wisely kept her tongue. Unlike Orsino, the Grand Cleric was not one to argue with as she was the only person with the authority to remove Meredith from her position.

As soon as he entered the room Orsino walked over to Hawke and began to examine her carefully. "Be careful with her. It seems every movement causes her pain." Fenris stated coldly as he stood protectively next to Hawke.

"Does _he_ have to be here?" Meredith snapped when she noticed Fenris.

"His presence has been quite useful, Meredith. As you can imagine, Madame Hawke has had quite the experience, and the elf seems to calm and comfort her." Elthina replied calmly, yet you could still hear the small hint of authority in her voice that begged Meredith to further question her.

"Hmph. Very well. But he will move aside while we interrogate the girl."

"**No**." Fenris curled his lip and crossed his arms in reaction to Meredith harsh tone.

"Excuse me? Just who do you think you are?" Meredith snapped back as she stomped over to where Fenris stood. Fenris returned her glare with equal fire as the two faced each other.

"Meredith please, if the man comforts Hawke, then the easier it will be to heal her. And I don't think _interrogating_ her right now is wise either." Orsino replied with his usual diplomacy.

Meredith was about to argue back when Elthina spoke up, agreeing with Orsino. Knowing she was outnumbered, the Knight Commander cursed and went to stand at the end of the bed. However she continued to glare menacingly at the two elves in the room.

"Are you in pain, child?" Orsino asked softly to Hawke.

"Yes..." Hawke managed to say quietly. She hated to admit to it, yet bravely putting on her usual air of indifference wouldn't serve her at this moment.

"From what I gathered from when he positioned her like this, even her skin seemed to cause her pain."

"Her skin you say?" Orsino puzzled as he thought on what Fenris said. "Well, I can send for a balm that soothes the skin, although we will need enough for her entire body. Of course I will use whatever spells I can, but some ailments prove to show resistence to magick and it is good to have something to be used as backup. I will also send for some strong painkillers and see if we can schedule someone to come in and help rebuild her muscles."

"Thank... you."

"There is no need to thank me, child. You have already done so much for the people of this city in the four years you have been here. Besides, with your mother being gone..."

"My mother!? What-" Hawke tried to ask before another wave of coughing overtook her. Orsino, Fenris and Elthina all looked at each other as they realized that by Hawke's surprise at the First Enchanter's words, it was clear that Hawke's memory leading up to Hawke's injury was not fully intact.

"Don't you not remember that maleficar and what he did?" Meredith bit out incredulously.

"Knight Commander! Perhaps we should leave Orsino to heal the young woman. I am sure having a room full of people watching while she is prodded and examined is not what the poor child needs right now." Elthina stated sternly before Meredith could continue. Already Hawke was looking distressed as she continued to question what had happened.

"I will do no such thing, Grand Cleric. Who knows what Orsino will do to the woman without supervision! He could use some sort of blood magick on her and we wouldn't know until it was too late!"

Fenris was about to remove the hateful woman himself in a moment if the Grand Cleric didn't succeed. Every minute he spent near the woman made his anger rise, which only increased at her callousness in regards to Hawke's mother

"Orsino will be fine, Knight Commander. Fenris is here to alert us if something happens, aren't you lad?" Elthina turned her gaze to him and for the first time Fenris saw real anger in the Grand Cleric's eyes.

"I will not **anyone** harm Hawke. You have my word, Grand Cleric." replied Fenris through clenched teeth. His double threat was also not lost on the others in the room either.

"As if I am to trust some _knife-ear_ to prevent blood magick from being used!" Meredith angrily shouted back as she shot her own warning glare towards Fenris.

"Knight Commander Meredith Stannard! As Grand Cleric of Kirkwall, I have full faith in both Fenris and First Enchanter Orsino to see to the needs of Madam Hawke. Now, I have some things I must discuss with you in _private_. So, if you would be so _kind_, please follow me to the main room." Elthina coldly snapped back before turning and leaving the room. Her _request_ being more of a demand than an actual request, causing Meredith to sneer at the two elves before cursing and leaving the room.

"Janson! I want you in there while I _speak_ to the Grand Cleric!" Meredith barked harshly at someone before a templar rushed into the room just after Meredith left. Orsino sighed heavily before he addressed the templar.

"Ser Janson, I take it? All I ask is that you kindly avert your eyes from the woman while I examine her." Orsino asked in more of a defeated tone than as a real question. There was nothing he could do, of course if the knight refused.

"O-of c-c-course F-First E-E-Enchanter!" the knight stammered with a blush.

"Keep your eyes off the woman or risk losing them, _human_." Fenris growled threateningly at the young knight as his brands slightly lit up. There was **_no way_** he was going to allow his Hawke to be disgraced and put on display like some common whore. Not after what he knew what she went through as a child.

"Easy now, friend. I am sure the knight is honorable enough. Now, if you don't mind, I need your assistance. I would like to examine Hawke's body to see how badly the muscle atrophie has gotten and to see how badly she might suffer from malnutrition."

Fenris shot another deadly glare at the templar before his features softened as he returned his attention back to Hawke. Together, both and he and Orsino went to work carefully examining to see the full extent of the damage of Hawke's long coma.


	16. I Am Yours

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Yay! Here's some long overdue Hawke/Fenris fluff (and good old-fashioned sexyness!). I know it has probably been long-awaited, but now since pretty much the beginning, the couple is finally back together. Of course I had do some intimate "getting to know each other" scenes!

Also, I am very sorry for the various spelling and grammar mistakes. I try to re-read through everything a couple of times, but I always wind up missing some! Thank you for your patience and continued readership as I try to edit my stories as best as I can.

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

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"You are doing well, messere. I believe it shouldn't be long before you are back to your old self again!" Maylie happily stated to Hawke.

"It's been two weeks, May! I'm tired of this bed, and I am tired of this house!" Hawke exclaimed with a huff as she limped back to her bed with Fenris' help. Slowly she was rebuilding her muscles, yet the process was taking its toll on everyone in the estate as Hawke's patience lessened with every day.

"Don't push yourself, Hawke. You know the rest of us can handle things while you recover." Fenris smiled at her reassuringly as he gently laid her down on her bed.

"I will see you tomorrow, Messere Hawke. Please do try to take it easy." the Chantry maid, Maylie stated before bowing and leaving the two of them alone.

Finally Hawke was back in her own room after completely refusing to sleep any longer in her dead mother's bed. Thankfully the last of the wood needed for the bed was delivered earlier that week which allowed everything to be put back the way it was before everything happened. Still though, it didn't ease the ache in Hawke's heart over the loss of her mother.

"It's just, you have no idea how hard it is to stay here in this house all day long, being reminded constantly of my mother! And people out there need me. Who knows what the Qunari or templars are doing out there! I even overhead Orana say something about how the Arishok is close to just launching a full attack on Kirkwall itself!"

Hawke was close to tears as everything that happened recently weighed down on her. Even though it had been almost two full weeks, Fenris still refused to speak of what happened while he was in the Fade with her. All he would say is that he defeated the demons that held her there, yet Hawke could tell there was more to it that he was saying. Ever since she awoke, he was more careful with her, and there was this sadness in his eyes whenever he looked at her. Yet she knew it wasn't just because of what happened to her. Something happened in the Fade and he refused to even speak of it.

Fenris climbed onto the bed beside her and took her into his arms. He knew this was hard on her. She was an active woman who barely took the time to rest even if she got sick. Trying to get a stampeding bronto to lie still was easier than getting Hawke to rest while she was sick.

"Iris, you push yourself too much. You need to slow down."

Hawke sighed and let herself melt against Fenris' hard body. She hated being so useless, however she knew he was right. Although, she had to admit that part of her expected to be up and back to normal by now.

"Why do you always call me 'Iris' when no one else is around?" Hawke asked softly against Fenris' chest.

"You have never indicated that you wish others to know your first name. In fact, I am even surprised that you told me." Fenris answered bluntly. In reality, he hadn't even known her name that long, to be honest. It was during the one night they made-love that she asked if he would call her by it.

"Honestly, I don't. After we left Lothering, I left a part of my past behind me, and when arrived here in Kirkwall, I made sure those who did know it didn't call me by my first name anymore. It just... holds a lot of bad memories."

"Yet why did you ask me to call you by it when we..."

Hawke sat up and looked him in the eyes before she spoke again. Thinking about her past always caused a deep hurt in her chest, but somehow it never hurt as much as it usually did whenever Fenris was with her. Even if he didn't know what was on her mind, his mere presence soothed her.

"Honestly, I just wanted some good memories of someone using my name. Especially from a man..." Tears filled Hawke's eyes as images of her time Lothering filled her mind. Although, it was not the happy, joyful memories of her time spent with her family that made her cry.

"Iris... I..."

"No, it's okay. Everyone has their painful memories, right? I mean, look at you! Oh Maker, look at me tear up like this!" chuckled Hawke sadly as she wiped at the tears that fell down her cheek. Inside, she felt like an idiot for crying over her past when Fenris suffered so much in his own. "I'm sorry..."

Fenris lifted her face up to his so he could look into her eyes as he spoke. "Never apologize to me for feeling sadness or pain over your memories, Iris. You are right that we each have our pasts, but that does not mean that yours does not matter. If I could, I would hunt that bastard down and kill him again."

"What bastard? Oh no... You don't mean-... No, no, no, no..." Hawke pulled away from Fenris and tried to move away yet her legs refused to work properly for her.

"Iris! I... Please don't! I shouldn't have said anything!"

"How could you...? Is that why you won't tell me about what happened in the Fade? Did you see...? Oh Maker!" Fresh tears welled in her eyes as Hawke rolled over onto her side away from Fenris. Grief and embarrassment consumed her when she thought of the man she loved knowing what was done to her.

Fenris reached across the bed and pulled Hawke against even though she struggled against him. Inwardly he cursed himself for saying what he did. He never meant for Hawke to find out what he witnessed, yet he just got so caught up in his anger at her past that it slipped out.

"Iris, please do not pull away from me." Fenris begged softly. "I am sorry... I didn't want you to get upset if you knew what I saw."

"I can't believe you know! I never wanted..." Hawke's voice was cut off by her sobs as she cried against Fenris chest.

"Shh... I know. I know. Please, do not cry, Iris."

It was several minutes before Hawke cried enough to feel free enough to speak clearly again. Quieting down her breathing and trying to calm her body, a part of Hawke wanted to speak of what happened to her, yet another, larger part of her still feared what he would think of her.

"How much do you know?"

Fenris paused as he thought of his answer carefully. He knew the shame that came along with such memories, and how even years later can still cause a person to fear what others would think of them if they somehow knew. It was something he lived with everyday as his memories of what happened to him a slave still haunted him to this day. Holding her to his chest and lightly running his free hand through her hair, Fenris took a deep breath and prayed what he said did not drive her further from him.

"What I know is that whatever happened to you at that templar's hands does not change how I feel about you now. If anything, I respect and care for you more now than I did before."

"But..."

"No buts, Iris. What happened was in no way your fault, and by simply surviving and becoming the caring, wonderful woman you are shows your strength of character. Something which I do not possess. I have spent years hating everyone, despising even the slightest touch as it reminded me of time spent with my master. Yet you live your life as if you conquered your past and laid it to rest. It is something that I pray that I can attain someday."

"But you let me touch you..." Hawke whispered as she idly traced one of his lyrium brands on his arm with her finger.

Fenris closed his eyes as the wonderful sensation of her touch burned through him. Since Hawke awoke, he was always careful with how he touched her. For the first few days, it seemed like every touch burned her. And as the days passed, Fenris put his mind to helping Hawke regain her ability to move and walk properly. Only at night when he returned to Denarius' mansion did Fenris allow himself to briefly kiss her cheek.

Even that simple gesture fired his body alive in wanting her. And every night he berated himself for wanting such a thing while Hawke still could barely move on her own. The lack of sleep that resulted from a combination of his fear of losing her again and his desire to just be near her was driving him insane.

"With you, it is different..." Fenris whispered in response. With her, everything was different, Fenris thought. When he was with her, the pain in his skin eased and the weight he usually felt crushing his chest lifted.

"Fenris, can I ask you something?"

"You may ask anything of me, Iris."

Hawke lifted her head up so they were facing each other again. His emerald eyes held such a depth of emotion that Hawke's breath caught in her chest for a moment. After a moment, Hawke took a deep breath and fought for the courage to speak her mind.

"Do you... regret... being with me?"

"Never. Not for one second. Honestly, I am the one who should be amazed that you allowed me into your bed given everything that happened to you."

"To be honest, I think I was one my third glass of wine when you came to my door that night. I honestly don't know what would have happened if I was sober." Hawke blushed as she remembered the night they shared together and how uninhibited she was.

"Well, perhaps I should be thanking the wine for the best night of my life, then, shall I?" Fenris chuckled, which caused Hawke's blush to deepen.

"Do you still love me... after everything?"

"With every beat of my heart. I have never stopped loving you, Iris. And I never will." replied Fenris with one of his sly smiles that always managed to light Hawke's blood on fire. Before he knew what happened, Hawke pulled his face to hers and kissed him passionately. Stunned at first, Fenris quickly recovered and returned her kiss just as passionately.

Hawke's mind swam as she felt him against her. Slowly she moved her hands down to his chest to his tunic, once again thrilled that Fenris had started removing his armor as soon as he arrived so he wouldn't hurt her. Without it, Hawke could feel the tight and well muscled body that he kept hidden most of the time. Being an elf, he wasn't overly muscular like human men, yet she knew just what kind of strength was hidden in those taut muscles. Reluctantly, Fenris pulled himself away from her delicious lips and cursed inwardly at how easily she could ignite his desire. Despite what his body wanted, he knew that this was probably the last thing her recovering body needed as it strove to rebuild lost muscle.

"Iris... Perhaps this is not the best time..."

"Fenris, since I woke up from that nightmare, I have felt so numb and cold. Like I was only still half here while the rest of me laid sleeping. I am tired of feeling like that. When you touch me, I feel like I used to - like I am alive again. Please, I need to feel you. I know it is selfish and you probably hate me for saying so, but please... Be with me..."

Inside, Fenris' heart nearly felt like it exploded at her words. So heartfelt and needful, he couldn't even deny her even if he wanted to.

"It is not selfish, Iris, for I want it too. If it is selfish, then let us be selfish together." Fenris purred as he gently laid her down on the bed and positioned himself beside her.

Feeling Hawke against him, Fenris' body came to life with a powerful need to touch and possess her. In truth, the need scared him a bit, but Fenris refused to be cowed again by his fears and insecurities like he was last time. Hawke deserved better than that. Pressing his lips against her neck, he wondered just how much his Iris could feel and felt a desire within him to figure out exactly how much that was.

Hawke ran her hands down Fenris' side until she found the hem of his tunic. Lifting it slightly, Hawke smiled at his intake of breath as she let her fingers dance on his skin. She knew how touch sensitive Fenris was, and it was something she intended to take full advantage of. Already she could feel his hard length against her leg as he pressed himself closer to her.

Fenris growled as he lost himself in the skillful way Hawke touched his sensitive skin. Normally when people touched him, his brands hissed back in pain. It was a part of the reason why he avoided touching people. The other reason were the memories other people's touch invoked within him. However, that never happened with Hawke. Even when they first met, it amazed him whenever she would brush up against him or lightly touch his arm. The usual pain never came under her touch; like his body knew even before he did that Hawke would be the one woman to be able to get close to him.

Wanting to feel the same closeness to her, Fenris reached down and nearly ripped her gown in his effort to feel her skin under his fingers. He knew he should probably move more slowly, yet the desire to feel her roared inside of him. Thankfully, Hawke only giggled at his somewhat rough attempt to free her of the gown she wore.

"I am sorry... I am no good at this." Fenris grumbled softly.

"You are fine, Fenris. Here..." Hawke used him for leverage to pull herself up to a sitting position before she began to struggle with her own gown. Fenris placed his hand on her own, stopping her.

"Iris, are you sure about this? You can barely move. Can you even feel me in... certain areas?"

Hawke smiled at the blush on his face and the concern in his voice. She took his hand and ran it along her upper thigh up to her hip. She could definitely feel the warmth and pressure of his hand on her skin as she hissed out in pleasure. Fenris just watched speechless as Hawke guided his hand along her body. It was something he had been wanting to do himself for ages. To touch her silky skin and hear her moan his name in response.

"Well, there is only one way to find out, isn't there?" Hawke giggled as she looked over at Fenris with eyes full of lust.

"Oh how you tempt me. It makes me wonder just how much you do to excite me and how much you do to torture me."

Hawke laughed softly and pulled Fenris to her lips, but before she kissed him she whispered against his eager mouth, "Can't it be both?"

Fenris growled deeply as he felt her tongue glide against his. She tasted like heaven to him. Inwardly he wondered how such a woman as Hawke could ever accept him after the things he did in his past. Even after finding out what she went through as a child only increased his amazement and love for the woman in his arms.

"Help me..." Hawke stated huskily as she guided Fenris' hand to the hem of her gown. Smiling, yet still uneasy, Fenris helped to slowly remove the nightgown from Hawke's still weak body. It wasn't easy with her legs still not fully cooperating, and Fenris had to admit that it was more than a little awkward. However, after a few minutes of struggling with the cloth, it was finally lifted over Hawke's head and tossed aside.

At once Fenris' breath caught as he looked down at her naked body. She was beyond beautiful in the soft light from the candles. The shadows of which danced playfully on her skin as the wick flickered in the slight breeze from the open balcony door. Almost reverently, Fenris reached out to touch her but grew suddenly unsure of himself and pulled away.

Frowning with concern, Hawke put her hand on Fenris' cheek and brought his gaze to meet her own. There in his eyes, she saw so much love, yet a deep and resounding pain and regret spoke through his emerald gaze.

"What's wrong, Fenris?" asked Hawke cautiously. The memory and pain of his leaving her bed the last time was still etched upon her heart, and she worried if he would again flee from her.

Fenris felt like he couldn't breathe. Such emotions filled him, it was difficult to grasp at one to speak its name. Love, humility, shame, regret, amazement, wonder, sadness, anger, fear... These and many more he could not name filled him as he looked down on his Hawke, lying naked on her bed. It may have been months, yet the attack that nearly cost Hawke her life still dwelt heavily upon his mind. The image of her dying in his arms, the feeling of her taking her last breath.

"Fenris? Speak to me." Hawke was starting to get really worried when she saw tears form in his eyes and a sad smile on his lips.

Unable to bear the emotions any longer, Fenris bent down and kissed her furiously. One hand burrowing itself in her hair, the other he dragged lightly down her side till he reached her leg. There, he pulled Hawke's leg till it rested on his hip and her foot was behind him.

Hawke was confused at first by the sudden rush of passion but didn't fight him as Fenris took the lead in the kiss. Desperate yet loving, passionate and hungry; the kiss left Hawke breathless and on fire. Wanting to feel his skin against her, Hawke pulled at his tunic and with Fenris' help, managed to pull it free from his body. Immediately her hands sought out his chest and delighted in the coiled strength that rested under his skin.

Wanting to taste his skin, Hawke moved from Fenris' mouth down to his jaw then up to his ear. She remembered from before at how much he moaned when she ran her tongue over his pointed ears, and she wasn't disappointed when she received another deep moan from him. Grinning broadly, Hawke continued her assault on his ear while her fingers and nails explored the whole of his chest and back.

Fenris felt like his brain had somehow broke when as he felt her mouth and tongue on her skin. At once, his thoughts raced, yet each of them so fleeting that only the intent he could gather - and that was how he wanted to do everything he could to give pleasure to this amazing woman under him.

Growling softly, Fenris lowered his head and found Hawke's neck, placing luscious and lingering kisses down her neck and shoulders. Rewarded with a soft moan, Fenris gathered his courage and let his hand seek out her breast. Running his palm over the full mound, again he heard his Hawke moan deeply in response.

"Iris, you do such wicked things to me. The desires I feel whenever I am with you; the need that rises in me to touch your body and make you scream out in pleasure. I was a fool to leave you." Fenris purred in her ear. Unable to resist, he let his teeth graze her perfect skin, giving a playful yet mildly painful nip to her shoulder.

Hawke groaned deeply when she felt his teeth on her skin. Yes, it stung for a second, but the rush she felt quickly overwhelmed any pain she had. Fenris then leaned her fully onto her back as he began to trail hot kisses from her shoulder down to her chest. And when Hawke felt his mouth against her breast, her head tilted back at the pleasure his tongue and mouth delivered.

It was almost too much to bear. The taste of her skin and the feel of her body against his. The drive to take her and make her his roared in his body like a hungry beast. A more rational, sane part of him told him to back off, to go slowly or stop altogether. After all she had been through, he was letting his own desires rule over his common sense. Yet Fenris gave no heed to this quickly dying voice inside of him. He couldn't listen, not when his Iris lay naked and wanting underneath him.

Fenris ran his hand down her body until it found the mound between her legs. For a split moment, he wondered just how much she could feel down there given everything that happened. Yet he didn't have much time to think on it further as Hawke's hand shot down to his and guided his fingers to her already wet slit and sensitive clit.

"Yes, touch me there, Fenris..." Hawke moaned deeply with her eyes closed. She may have trouble moving her legs and her strength was nowhere near what it should be, but she felt every caress and movement of his hands against her core. And when Hawke felt his finger gently enter her, she couldn't control the desperate cry that left her lips as she came hard against his hand.

Chuckling softly, Fenris thought how beautiful Hawke was while she lost herself to the passion and pleasure he gave her. Slowly, he used his fingers to massage and intensify her orgasm as the waves of pleasure rushed over Hawke. And when her body finally began to ease, Fenris knew he had to make her do that again and again until she could take no more. The beast in him demanded no less.

Shifting his body downwards, Fenris paused for a moment to look back up at her under his hooded eyes. She was his goddess incarnate and he fully intended to show her just how devoted he was to her. Hawke felt Fenris position himself between her legs and paused for a moment as the implications at what he was doing. Even during their first - and only previous - time, Fenris didn't try to go down on her. Before it was just furious passion that really left little room for foreplay.

"Fenris?" Hawke asked weakly. Honestly her body was in such a state that even she wanted to, she was in no position to stop whatever he wanted to do with her. The sudden realization of that froze Hawke to her core and caused her panic to rise.

Looking up when he heard his name, Fenris at first didn't understand what changed, but he could feel the change in the mood between them and the way Hawke's body looked. Moving up her body again so he was face to face with her, Fenris felt his heart clench at the look of fear and horror in Hawke's eyes.

"Iris? What's wrong?"

"I-... I can't move... I can't..." Hawke cried softly. Fenris looked upon her with a frown. He had no idea what caused this beautiful to cry and look so afraid when she looked at him.

"I don't understand. Did I do something?" Fenris was starting to get really worried now as he watched the tears roll down Hawke's cheeks. This is not what he intended when they started, and it caused him to feel like he somehow failed her.

"I can't... stop... you..." The words fell from her frightened trembling lips instantly made Hawke feel even worse when she saw the realization dawn in Fenris' eyes. The look of severe sadness and regret that shown from his eyes and spread through his entire body made her breath catch in her throat.

"By the Maker... I never thought... I didn't think..." stammered Fenris. If it was possible for him to feel even more like crap and a piece of filth, he didn't know. "Please, Iris... I am so sorry..." he whispered as he lowered his head to the pillow beside her in disgrace.

Hawke knew he wouldn't hurt her. Not after everything he had done for her. But still the fear was there. This was why she avoided being intimate with people, and she thought that because the last time with Fenris didn't cause her to seize up that perhaps she was finally over her nightmare. Yet here it was again, ruining the only good thing she found in her life.

"I'm sorry..."

Fenris growled angrily at her apology and shot up from the bed. He felt disgusted with himself; angry at how easily he let his desires take control of what he should have known better not to do. "Do not apologize to me, Iris! This is my doing, not yours!" he spat out as anger filled him. Fenris started pacing the floor in front of the bed where she laid, mumbling to himself in Arcanum. In his mind, he was going over and over every last insult he knew of to call himself, for his stupidity and shameful actions.

Hawke felt so useless and angry at herself for breaking such an intimate moment between them, especially since this was what she was craving since he left her months ago. Trying to push herself up on her forearms, Hawke thought quickly at how she could undo this and bring her elven lover back to her before he left her again.

"Please don't leave me..." she finally whispered, her fear and grief blocking everything else she wanted to say. Like how she was sorry for letting her past fears take control of her; how she was terrified that he would leave again and it would be just like the last time; how much she loved him and desperately wish she could show him that... So many things built up in her mind until only her pathetic pleading for him not leave was all that could escape her lips.

Fenris froze when he heard her whisper to him. At first he wasn't even sure he heard it, yet the look she was giving him confirmed what her lips said. She was afraid. Not _of_ him, but that he would leave her again, alone and tearful in her bed like the last time. Well, that was the one thing that managed to make him feel worse than he did before. The look in her eyes held him transfixed for the moment while it managed to drain the anger he had him until all he had left was regret and shame.

No. He also had love. Love for the woman who meant more to him than anything else in the world. A woman he faced down a fearsome creature and even treaded through the Fade and confront a legion of demons and his own insecurities for.

Quickly Fenris knelt by her side, taking one of her hands in his and lowering his head to their combined hands. Much like Hawke felt earlier, the words he wished to say just refused to form in his mouth. But inside he felt like she somehow knew what he wanted to say anyway. Venturing a look into her eyes, Fenris cursed under his breath at the sadness and love she held for him. Yet in her eyes, he thought of a possible solution.

Getting up Fenris headed for her closet where she kept her armor and weapons. Searching through it, it didn't take him long to return with one of Hawke's favorite daggers in hand.

"What are you-?"

"This is for you. Take it, and know that you are not defenseless." Fenris stated softly as he placed the handle of the blade in her hand and wrapped her fingers around it. "I will not stop any blow or attack you deliver to me. I was a fool to not think how your condition would affect your memories of what happened to you before, and I wish to make up for it. However, if you will let me, I would like to continue to show you how much you mean to me, Iris. I wish to drive away all the hurt of your past and replace it with the knowledge that you are now safe and loved like no other woman. I may not be able to keep from making further mistakes, but know that the instant you tell me stop, I will. However, I want you to take this and know that despite my oath, you are able to protect yourself and not be forced to do what you do not wish to."

Hawke was speechless as his heartfelt words sunk deep into her. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled Fenris down to her lips and kissed him furiously. As their lips and tongues touched, all the fear and apprehension evaporated in Hawke. Instead, she let her love and amazement of the man in her arms fill her to the brim.

The acceptance was not lost on Fenris as Hawke clung to his desperately. Immediately he pushed all the negative thoughts from his mind as he felt Hawke's deep lust and passion for him. However, unlike the last time when he let his lust rule their love-making, Fenris intended to show his Iris just how much he treasured and adored her.

Letting the dagger drop the bed, Hawke pulled Fenris tight against her. She needed to feel his warmth and solid frame against her. She wanted to lose herself in the feeling of his presence surrounding and possessing her. Never before had she desired a man like this before, and while that scared a part of her, it also thrilled and invigorated her. In fact, so lost was she in the passion of their kiss, that she didn't notice Fenris' hand move down her body to the soft mound of curls at her center.

"Fenris!" Hawke exclaimed when she felt his fingers rub against her aching core.

"You are safe, Iris. Let me give you the pleasure a woman like you deserves." Fenris purred into her ear. Hawke moaned loudly when she felt two of his fingers slip inside of her. At first the moved slowly, testing and teasing her, and then slowly increased their rhythm.

Moving down her body again, Fenris positioned himself between her legs and looked once more up at her. Watching her closely, he never left her gaze as he lowered his head and took her into his mouth.

Feeling him there, Hawke felt like electricity filled her from her head down to her toes. And when Hawke felt the rumble of his growl against her core, it drove her over the edge once more. However, with her legs being so weak, so could only twist and moan under him as he assaulted her with his tongue and fingers. And when she came down from her orgasm, he was quick to send her over again.

Fenris closed his eyes at the heavenly taste of her on his lips. Banishing old, terrible memories when they tried to surface, he refused to think of those times when he, too, was forced to do things he didn't want to while he was a slave. Instead, he focused on the beautiful and sexy woman who murmured and cried out his name as he pushed her over and over again.

"Fenris! Please! I need you!" Hawke cried out at last. Wasting no time, Fenris quickly removed his boots and trousers and returned to the bed. Holding himself above her, Fenris smiled wickedly down as he stared into her liquid violet eyes.

"You mean more to me than you can ever imagine, Iris. You have turned the beast inside of me tame, and it has chosen to love and follow only you. I know I failed you before, but know that I will **never** leave you again." Fenris stated in deep, husky voice before he pushed himself inside of her.

Together, the two lovers groaned as their bodies came together. Pleasure and passion filled them both as Fenris moved inside of her. Hawke took great pleasure in his growls and moans of pleasure as she ran her fingers along his brands. As far as she knew, he didn't let anyone even touch his skin, let alone his lyrium brands. The feeling of being so close to such a wild and dangerous man was its own aphrodisiac. When combined with knowing he loved her and was currently making love to her, it was enough to throw Hawke into a seemingly endless loop of pleasure as multiple orgasms claimed her.

When the last tremor left Hawke's body, it was too much for Fenris too take. Speeding up, he furiously sought his own peace, and when the release came, he swore he never felt anything like it. Even the previous time with his Iris could not match the feelings that washed over him now. It was pure bliss; heaven made real. Letting out a fierce roar of satisfaction, Fenris finally collapsed on top of her out of breath.

They stayed like that for what seemed like eternity, just enjoying the after glow of their passion. Neither could even find the energy to speak as they slowly came back down to their bodies.

"Stay with me, please..." Hawke finally whispered after several minutes.

Feeling choked by emotion at her request, Fenris knew he couldn't deny it. His mind told him though that this was a mistake. How he was still hunted, and how he should return alone to his mansion. Yet even the excuses his mind came up with sounded pathetic and half-hearted to him. He knew where he wanted to be. Where he _needed_ to be.

"It would be my pleasure." Fenris purred against her neck. He then lifted his head up and looking lovingly into her eyes. "I am yours." he whispered before claiming her mouth with his own. Only this time it wasn't hurried or hungry. It was long and passionate as it conveyed just how much he loved the woman beside him.


	17. A Request

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. However, I that's part of the fun of fanfiction, right? ;-)

Okay! I know this is a bit late, but last night I spent all my writing time trying to come up with a summary of the Dragon Age Origins game for someone who expressed an interest in reading my stories here, yet has never played the game before! And I still haven't finished it, but I thought it would be mean to hold off my readers any longer. I am even thinking of publishing my summary here on for others who may interested in reading the stories here but isn't all to familiar with the story. Because honestly, who wouldn't? The story of the DA games rock! And the wonderful writters here make a great story even better with all of our different takes and ideas how things may have gone behind the scenes and beyond!

So yeah, that is why this is a bit late. I always try to do at least one update a night, though, so don't worry. Also, I am at a point in the story - Pretty much between the quest "All That Remains" and the end of Act 2. So I got some "in game" story to go over before I get back to my original plan for my Fenris and Hawke. So stay tuned! Things are not always what they seem...

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

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Fenris came awake with a start, drenched in sweat and his heart pounding. Already the fragmented memories were dissipating even as he tried desperately to hang onto them. What was worse was the pain that scorched his body and made him think his blood was about burst forth from his veins. Beside him, Hawke laid still blissfully asleep. Feeling a desperate need to get up, Fenris tried to remove his arm from under Hawke's neck. However he was not as lucky as he was last time, cursing when he saw Hawke's eyes flash open in concern.

"Fenris? What's wrong?" Hawke pleaded, her face full of concern and worry.

"N-nothing... go... go back to sleep." he replied through clenched teeth. Fenris didn't want Hawke to know that what happened before was happening again, yet he could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't fooled by his lame attempt.

"Bullshit! It's happening again, isn't it?" Hawke cursed as she moved closer to Fenris and tried to put her arms around him.

"Iris don't!" yelled Fenris as he tried to get away before she could touch him. However Hawke was too quick and managed to pull him back to her by his shoulders. Expecting the pain to intensify as it usually did when he was touched, Fenris was surprised that her touch seemed to have the exact opposite effect. The place on his skin where her hands laid suddenly stopped burning and instead he felt a minor cooling sensation.

"No Fenris! Let me help!" Hawke cried out in return. Fenris was too shocked by the sudden revelation of the pain vanishing to fight much more against her, allowing Hawke to pull him flush against her. Skin to skin and with her hands running comforting along his back, Fenris almost cried at the release of pain her touch incited. Everywhere her skin touched his, the pain that racked his body seemed to vanish.

"Iris... I...-" Fenris tried to explain, yet he couldn't find the words. His throat choked up at not only the relief of pain, but also the cool sensation that her hands and skin delivered to him instead of the blinding pain he was used to.

"Am I hurting you more?" Hawke asked worriedly. Looking down into her eyes, Fenris found the the notion that her touch hurt him more was almost laughable considering the reality was the complete opposite.

"No... No. Please, don't stop." he whispered softly. "The pain... It disappears when you lay your hands on me."

Hawke's face broke out in a wicked grin as she heard his words. "Oh really? Let's see..." Hawke then pushed Fenris back down to the bed and carefully ran her hands along his chest, arms, and face. Closing his eyes, Fenris couldn't hold back the shudder that came as his body slowly returned to normal. Even the pain in the rest of his body was slowly going away as she continued to run her hands and fingers against him.

Taking special time to trace the lines of his brands, Hawke took great pleasure in exploring his upper body. The swirls mimicked the way vines curled around stones and gates, and added even more beauty to his already handsome form. Honestly, Hawke had never seen a more delicious body than his, and a small part greedily enjoyed being able to touch and caress his tawny skin.

Feeling his heartbeat return to normal, Hawke bent down to place a light kiss against his lips. The moment she touched his lips however, Fenris grabbed her shoulders and pushed over so she laid under him. And instead of a light kiss, the way he ravaged her lips left her breathless and wanting.

Growling softly, Fenris pulled back slightly and stared into her eyes, feeling a different kind of burning than what he felt before arise in his body.

"What is it about you, Iris? Why is it that when you touch me, you remove one burning, only to replace it with another?" Again Fenris kissed her passionately as he pressed himself tight against her body. Running his hands down her body to her hips, the powerful lust that raged in his body was almost too intense to control.

Hawke moaned as she felt his hands against her body and his hard length against her thigh. Feeling her own lust rise, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and ran her fingernails lightly across his back.

Fenris moved his kisses down her jaw to her neck where he playfully licked and nipped at her throat and shoulders. Delighting in the small gasps and moans that Hawke made, Fenris was about to fully lose himself in smells and tastes of his Hawke when he heard a loud knock on the door.

"Messere? Are you up yet?"

Fenris let out a loud growl at the sound of Bodahn's voice on the other side of the door, causing Hawke to laugh.

"You find this funny?" Fenris shot Hawke an irritated glare which only made her laugh more.

"Messere? Are you okay? I thought I-" Bodahn opened the door and froze wide-eyed as he saw Fenris laying on the bed with Hawke underneath him. "Oh my! Uh... I didn't... Oh... Um..." he stammered as a ripe blush covered his face. However he seemed transfixed in his embarrassment as he continued to dart his eyes back and forth between the two lovers.

"**Out dwarf!**" roared Fenris, causing Bodahn to jump slightly in surprise. Stammering out another apology, Bodahn quickly left and closed the door behind him.

"I think you just terrified him!" Hawke chuckled. Fenris looked back to her with a look of sheer possessives that at once it turned Hawke on even more and yet make her slightly afraid.

"You are mine! I will not have him come in and stare at you like that!" he growled in response. Bending his head down, Fenris again claimed her mouth in a passionate and deep kiss that left her bereft of air.

"M-m-m-mess-messere... I-I-I-... That is-is..." Bodahn called through the door again, clearly still shocked and embarrassed.

Pushing Fenris slightly away so she could look at him clearly, Hawke took a second to gather her breath before speaking. "It's probably something important."

"Fine..." Fenris growled in disdain. Getting up from the bed, he took the time to make sure Hawke was covered again before he put on his trousers. After his lower half was covered and a last look back to make sure Hawke's body was sufficiently shielded from the dwarf's lingering gaze, Fenris went and opened the door slightly. "What is it, dwarf?!" he barked out, causing Bodahn to jump again.

"It-its-its just... The-the mail, m-m-messere... A letter c-c-came for M-Madame H-Hawke..." Bodahn looked up at the tall, menacing elf and Hawke could tell he was one breath away from needing a new set of small-clothes, if he didn't need one already.

Lifting his lip in a threatening curl, Fenris' mind worked through what to do. Knowing this city, it was yet another request for Hawke's help. However, Hawke was still in no condition to do much of anything.

"Blast! Fine. I will be down in a minute." Fenris snapped before shutting the door on the dwarf.

"You know, you could be a bit nicer to him. He didn't mean anything." Hawke said as she pushed herself up onto her elbows.

"I thought I _was_ being nice by not immediately killing him." Fenris growled as he sought out his tunic and pulled it over his head.

"Fenris!"

"What? He had no business leering at you like that!" he snapped back.

"Come here..."

Fenris looked over at Hawke and felt his anger melt when he saw her soft smile and kind eyes upon him. Sighing, he walked over to the bed and sat down next to his Hawke.

"Please, try to calm down. I honestly don't think Bodahn meant anything by it. He just was surprised, most likely. Actually, I think he is more terrified than surprised, after the way you just yelled at him."

Biting back another bitter reply, Fenris knew she was right. However that still did not remove the jealous anger he felt at having another man see his Hawke without any clothes on. He didn't feel like arguing with her though, so instead he just tried to swallow his anger and instead focus on the beauty that lie before him.

Never had Fenris seen a more beautiful woman than his Hawke. To him, every line and every curve of her body was perfect. From her full and luscious hair down to her delicate feet; the fact that such a woman would choose to be with him still shocked and humbled him whenever he looked at her.

"I should probably go check that letter that came..." Fenris said softly. Smiling down at her, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips and moved to leave the room. Before he shut the door, however, Hawke pleaded him one last time to not kill her servants. Even though she smiled at him when she spoke, Fenris could also hear the true note of worry in her voice. Reluctantly, Fenris agreed with a partial chuckle before closing the door.

Downstairs, Fenris passed by a still startled Bodahn on the way to the writing desk where all of Hawke's letters were kept.

"M-messere Fenris! I wanted to apologize profusely-"

"Do not worry, dwarf. I... may have reacted too strongly. In the future, however..."

"Say no more, messere! It was my fault for not waiting for a response." Bodahn quickly stated. After returning his son safely to him, Bodahn had developed a higher respect for the Tevinter elf, as well as a healthy respect for his abilities. However, it was over the past few weeks that really showed the type of man the elf was, and Bodahn was sure it was purely because of the Fenris' feelings for Hawke that had allowed for her to have such a quick recovery.

Fenris nodded in response and continued on his way to the desk to read whatever letter it was a demanded such urgent attention. Seeing the seal of the Viscount on the back, Fenris could feel his annoyance starting to grow even before he even read the letter. Along with the other important heads of power in the city, the Viscount was notified that while Hawke was indeed now awake, she still needed time to recover from her long coma. However, as per usual, it seemed that every problem that arose had to be sent to Hawke for her and companions to deal with.

Looking at the Fancy script, Fenris was again very glad that Hawke had spent so much time to teach him to read. However, the words upon the paper quickly erased any appreciation he felt, including the annoyance at being bothered with the request in the first place. Instead Fenris only felt anger at what he read.

_My Lady Hawke._

_I understand that you are still recovering from your previous injuries, however something has come up that demands I seek out your council. Please, I cannot trust anyone else with this as it involved my son, Saemus. As soon as you are able, please come see me at the Keep. However I do not know how long I will able to wait because of how urgent this matter has become_

_Sincerely,_

_Viscount Dumar_

Fenris growled angrily as he crumpled the letter in his fist. Only Grand Cleric Elthina, the maiden Maylie, and himself knew the exact details of Hawke's injuries including the information that she lost the ability to walk. However, that didn't stop Fenris from getting angry at how it seemed that no one in this city appeared to be able to accomplish anything without seeking out Hawke's help.

Knowing though that Hawke would insist on pushing herself to meet with the Viscount even if it injured her further, Fenris knew that he had to keep her from finding out what the letter contained. Thinking quickly, Fenris tossed the letter in the nearby trash before returning to Hawke's room.

"What did the letter say?" asked Hawke when she saw him come in the door again. For the past few minutes since he left, Hawke had been trying again to get the muscles in her legs to work. It was hard, but was getting better and slowly she was able move them a bit more than before. However she was still nowhere near where she used to be - spmething which still annoyed and frustrated her.

"Um... It was nothing. Only a letter from the Viscount wishing you well. Bodahn must have saw the seal of the Viscount and thought it to be more important than it was." he lied.

"That's it? I thought he sent a letter a few days ago saying the same thing?"

"Uh, perhaps he is merely concerned." Fenris added quickly as he sought out the rest of his clothes and armor. Finding all the various pieces, he quickly dressed and hoped that Hawke would be satisfied with his answers.

"Where are you going?" Hawke asked when she saw him donning his armor. He only did that when he planned on leaving.

"I remembered that I needed to meet Varric about something. I won't be gone long."

Hawke looked at him critically. She could tell he wasn't telling her everything. Whenever she asked him something he didn't want to answer, he could never hold her gaze and instead his eyes positively avoided her own. Which is how she knew he was keeping something from her now.

"You're lying to me."

Fenris stopped mid buckle and looked over at her. He knew he was terrible at lying to her, yet he knew he couldn't tell her what the letter actually said. For some reason, he could usually bluff his way past even Varric when they played cards, but Hawke always managed to call him on it.

"No, I really do have to go meet Varric. He said something about getting a lead on that creature from the tower and I was supposed to go meet with him today." Okay, so it was only a _partial_ lie. However, it still made him feel like crap for lying to her, but it was the only way to keep her from trying to literally crawl to the Keep if her legs still refused to work properly. Most times Fenris loved her stubbornness, but this was not one of those times.

"Fine. When will you be back?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and leveling a look that told him she still fully didn't believe him. After he was mostly armored up again, he went over and sat beside her on the bed.

"Not long, I promise." Fenris gave her that classic look that always seemed to melt her as he placed his un-guantleted hand on her cheek. "Please, try not to worry. You still need your rest."

Pouting slightly, Hawke pulled his hand over to her lips and kissed his palm. "I love you. And it kills me knowing that I am still stuck in this bed while you and the others are out there getting into who knows what type of trouble."

Fenris smiled and leaned into place a chaste kiss against her lips. "You worry for too much." Fenris replied while looking into her eyes. Seeing the concern in her eyes made his chest clench, yet he knew that things must be done this way. Standing up reluctantly, Fenris took one last longful look at her before he left her room. He only hoped the Viscount had a damn good reason for taking him away from Hawke when all Fenris wanted was to spend the rest of the day ravishing her.

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"Well, that didn't go as well as I hoped." stated Varric dishearteningly as he and Fenris left the Qunari compound.

They were sent there by the Viscount to try to speak to the Arishok concerning the Viscount's son, Saemus. Apparently the boy had up and decided to convert to the Qun, and the Viscount was hoping that the Arishok could be convinced to return the boy to his father at the Keep. Unfortunately - and just as Fenris suspected - the Arishok cared nothing for the Viscount's position or that the boy converting to the Qun could cause problems for the Viscount.

"They are Qunari. All they are about are converts, not the controversy that their newest members may create amongst those they came from." Fenris replied bitterly. While travelling with Denarius, he had learned several things about the society and culture of those who followed the Qun. Not much of it he liked, however.

"Hey, I still can't believe Dumar told you about this instead of waiting for Hawke."

The two men climbed the stairs that led out of the dock and into Lowtown and headed for the Hanged Man to pick up Isabella.

"He had no choice. Hawke is still not well enough to deal with such matters and there are few others he would even speak to of such a problem let alone ask for help in dealing with it."

"True. Hey, you still haven't explained to us why Hawke is still sick to begin with. In fact, none of us have seen her since you kicked us out after she woke up. Is everything alright?"

Fenris looked over at the dwarf and saw the genuine concern in his eyes when it came to their leader and friend. Even though Fenris could empathize with his concern, he still thought it best if no one knew exactly how weak Hawke was. There was still people in this city who would love to remove her as a threat and would not hesitate to use her weakness against her. Even though Fenris doubted his fellow companions would betray her so, drunken lips did tend to say things that they shouldn't. And Fenris wasn't about to risk someone overhearing one of the others speak about her condition.

"Hawke is getting better, as I have told you. Soon enough she will back and I will no longer have to deal with the insistent questioning from you or the others." Fenris growled as the entered the Hanged Man.

"Yeah but-"

"Hey! It's about time you showed up!" Isabella called out, interrupting the dwarf. Looking over to where the pirate was, Fenris was surprised to see the woman marching over to them like she was ready to kill. "You have some explaining to do, elf! Where is Hawke?" Isabella spat out as she faced down Fenris. He could tell the woman was only worried about her friend, but he wouldn't allow the woman to try to intimidate him.

"She is **fine**! How many times must I say so!" Fenris bit back.

"I will believe you when I see her stroll through those doors behind you, on her own and unharmed! Now where is she, elf?!" The fire in Isabella's eyes blazed and matched the fury that roared in Fenris' gaze.

"Easy now, Rivaini..."

"Quiet Varric! I tried being a good little girl and wait this out, but it's been two weeks! Now you are going to tell me what is going on or I'll-"

"You'll do what, _wench_?"

Isabella paused at the threat that emanated from Fenris' eyes and the matching glow from his brands. Yet she still would not be deterred.

"I want to know what the fuck is going on!"

"So do I. So what is it, Fenris?"

The three companions looked over to see Aveline walk through the doors to the Hanged Man. The look of distrust, frustration, and anger on her face matched the one Isabella had.

"Hawke needs more time to recover from what happened, I have explained this! And that will not change no matter how many of you try to threaten me!" Fenris roared back in response.

"Okay, easy now ladies. I am sure Broody here is doing everything he can to help Hawke. After everything the kid went through to rescue her, I seriously doubt he would do anything to hurt her now."

Silence hung in the tension filled air for seemed like hours but it was only a few moments before Aveline and Isabella finally relented. Inwardly, they both knew Fenris would never do anything to hurt Hawke, yet Hawke had become close friends to them all. And they were all tired of being kept in the dark as to what was happening with their friend and leader.

"Fine... But I am coming over later to see her for myself. And Maker help you if Hawke is being kept against her will!" Isabella spat threateningly at Fenris.

"I would never hold her against her will!" roared Fenris.

"Okay, okay! I'm ringing the bell on this one. Rivaini, you go to your corner. Broody, you go to yours. You can come back when you're not about to kill each other, _deal_?" Varric looked back and forth between both of them and sighed when it looked like neither were going to respond. "Hey Red! You're a guard! Help me out here! Do some guarding and help break these two up!"

Aveline shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose over her two friends so close to brawling. "You heard the man. Brake it up before I get even more of a headache. Varric, you take Fenris, I'll get Isabella. Quickly now before we see blades..."

Reluctantly Fenris and Isabella allowed themselves to be separated. Even though they never touched each other, the two of them were so close to each other that it would only a moment and one or both of them would be lying dead in the floor.

"Look, I am worried about Hawke too. But pissing off the only man in all of Thedas who can _literally_ rip the heart from your chest is not a good idea, Isabella."

Isabella looked up at her friend and knew wshe as right. The whole group of them have been on edge ever since they got back to Kirkwall and were unceremoniously kicked out of Hawke's house. And the silence from Fenris was not helping matters. "It's not my fault! All Fenris or that Chantry girl will say is that '_Hawke is getting better_'. Well what in the name of Andraste's flaming brazier does that mean?"

"How the hell should I know? I have even tried petitioning the Grand Cleric, yet she refuses to say anything, either. All the woman ever tells me is to 'pray to the Maker' for her. Well if prayers were silvers I would be rich enough to buy this whole damn city. Still hasn't done a flaming thing to bring Hawke back to us." huffed Aveline.

"And that is why I say we storm the house and see for ourselves!" Isabella shot back, a little too excited at her suggestion for Aveline's comfort.

"Look, I know Hawke and there is no way she would allow herself to be kept somewhere she didn't want to be. And I know Bodahn well enough that he wouldn't keep Hawke from getting the help she needs. That man adores Hawke; you know this as well as I do."

"Fine." Isabella grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Looking across the bar, she again met Fenris' fiery gaze. Tired of all the fighting and secrets, Isabella stuck out her tongue at the elf.

"Put that back where you found it, wench. Who knows where it's been." Fenris sneered at her, causing Isabella to offer a one-fingered response.

"Are we all friends again? Good, cause you two are just the ladies we needed to see."

Aveline and Isabella looked curiously at the stout dwarf, prompting Varric to explain what brought Fenris and him to the Hanged Man to begin with.

"So Saemus wants to meet at the Chantry? Odd for the recently converted..." Isabella questioned as the four of them left the bar and made their way up to Hightown.

"That's what the note says. However, it reeks of a trap if you ask me."

"A trap by who, Varric? The last I heard, the boy loved how Hawke stood up for him against his father."

"I don't know Red, but trust me. There is something rotten in Hightown, and for once it's not the unusual smell behind the Rose."

"Ewww..." Isabella said, making a sour face at Varric's analogy. "Great, that just makes me hate the Chantry even more."

"You and me, both, Rivaini." Varric paused, sighing heavily. "You and me, both."


	18. War and Trust

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.

As the story progresses, I finding it more and more leaving canon behind. So for those of you who were hoping for a story about the events of Kirkwall as they appear in the game, I sorry to disappoint you. However, I have only a little more control over this story than you do. When I sit down to write, the story flows through me, often with little assistance of my own.

This is truly a story from my muses. And honestly, I can't wait either to find out what happens next!

;-)

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

* * *

Hawke sat on the edge of her bed, doing the exercises that Maylie showed her as well as a few of her own. Straining under the pressure, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as she again tried to lift the weight on the ground with her leg. It was heavier than the one she used when Maylie or Fenris were around, but that was the point. Hawke was tired of being treated like an invalid. She spent her whole life being strong and when she left Lothering behind, Hawke swore that from then on her life would be her own.

Battling Darkspawn, bandits, wayward Qunari, demons and blood mages had all taken their toll on her body, as the various scars showed. But Hawke refused to let any of that get her down. The people of Kirkwall needed her. Sure, there was always others the people could call on, but none of them seemed to do what she could. Like she was blessed by the Maker himself, Hawke and her companions always seemed to be able to accomplish the impossible.

Yet now, even standing by herself was an effort. Hawke hated being weak. Weakness and vulnerability had done nothing but hurt her throughout her whole life. From Ser Mavrick, to her inability to protect her brother from the ogre, to her own sister dying from the taint, to her dear mother being killed by a crazed blood mage. The idea that if only she had been stronger, faster, deadlier, or just somehow better invaded Hawke's mind constantly.

Maybe if she were faster, she would have been able to kill the ogre before it attacked Carver.

Maybe if she were stronger, she could have protected Bethany better so she didn't contact the taint.

Maybe if she paid closer attention to her mother, she would of never died at that blood mage's hands.

In Hawke's mind, it was her own weakness that caused the death and destruction of everything she cared about. At first, she may of thought it was a curse, but now Hawke was convinced that only she had been better, things would have come out differently. They had all depended on her, and she had failed them.

Now, the lives of her friends and companions rested on her shoulders. Already her own weakness to protect herself forced her friends to undergo great danger and heartache when they assaulted that tower to save her. She couldn't allow them to put themselves to put themselves in more danger while she laid helpless in her bed.

So whenever she could, Hawke would push herself harder and harder to get back to the way she was. After all, it wasn't just her friends that needed her, but all of Kirkwall. And she would be damned if another innocent life was lost due to inability to protect them.

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"Awe shit..." cursed Varric as they came upon the dead body of Saemus by the altar to the Maker.

By the look of it, he was stabbed through the heart and propped up to look like he was only praying. Yet when the party got close, the boy fell over dead. Almost immediately, Sister Petrice and a few of her followers appeared below.

Insidiously, the woman went on about how she planned on framing the Qunari for Saemus' death, inciting even more hatred and distrust of them. Really, the woman was aiming for full out war and didn't care about the consequences.

"Where is your leader, Hawke? Has she decided to ally herself with these heretics? Or does she cower still from the pressure of her duties?" Petrice yelled out to Fenris. Already the group distrusted the 'sister', especially after her stunt with the Qunari Saarabas and the Qunari delegation that was killed. But this was even too much for her.

"You are mad, woman! You risk war, and for what? You would see countless lives slain to satisfy your pride!" Fenris spat out angrily from the balcony. "You called Hawke a coward, yet the only coward I see here is you. To strike and kill a boy simply because he sought his own path! You insult your cloth and your Maker by your foul actions!"

Behind Fenris, Aveline, Isabella, and Varric all readied their weapons. The atmosphere was tense with rage and they knew that this was not going to end peacefully.

"I did what I must for Kirkwall! For the Maker! I know my duty and my place. Perhaps it is time to show you your own! To me, my men!" The several men and women beside Petrice unsheathed their weapons and launched themselves at the Fenris and the others.

Battling back and forth, fury burned in Fenris at the woman's insane idea. It was one thing when good men and women offered up their lives to defend what they believed in. But to slay the innocent to sow lies of deceit... It reeked of what he thought he escaped in Tevinter. The magisters there would go to any lengths to remove their rivals, invoking demons or contacting the deaths of the innocent in their game for power. Fenris, himself, had been used as an instrument for his old master's bids for power and control. Those memories still haunted him, and fueled his anger at seeing such evil done again.

Varric rained down bolts from his crossbow as both Aveline and Isabella engaged Petrice's pawns. Fenris, however, only had eyes for the bitch who was the cause of so much pain in a city already filled with distrust and fear.

Jumping over the banister, Fenris dropped down the floor beneath, landing gracefully on his feet. Rising up, he stalked towards Petrice with the practiced movements of a predator. With his blade out and a fury in his eyes, Fenris raised his blade to strike at the Chantry Sister.

The woman however jumped out-of-the-way and pulled a dagger out from the folds of her robes. Standing up, she readied herself for another attack just as the last of her men fell to a powerful strike from Aveline's sword.

"The Grand Cleric shall hear of this, elf! Attacking a sister within the very walls of the Chantry itself! Perhaps it was you who killed the boy!" Petrice growled as she faced down the group. With only a single dagger, she knew she was outmatched and outnumbered. Scanning her surroundings, her mind raced to find a way to escape.

"Yield, Petrice! I will not see you die a martyr for your insane cause!" Aveline cried out as the rest of the group started to surround the woman.

"Never! I am a servant of the Maker! It is he who protects me! I will not fal-"

The woman's words were cut off as an arrow pierced Petrice's chest. Looking in the direction it came from, out stepped a Qunari warrior. Again, the warrior loaded another arrow and fired, this time embedding the arrow into Petrice's head, killing her instantly.

"We protect those of the Qun. We do not abandon our own." the warrior stated flatly as he put his bow away. Before any of them could respond, though, the warrior stalked off and left the group alone amongst the bodies.

"Oh this is really going to suck to try and explain." Varric sighed as he put Bianca back in her sheath.

"Think we can make it to the docks before the guards come crashing down on us?" asked Isabella, feeling the same frustration at the situation.

"There is no need, child."

Four pairs of eyes looked over to see the Grand Cleric descend the nearby stairs. Despite all that happened, she appeared calm and didn't even seem to blink at the carnage that filled the floor around them.

"Grand Cleric!" Aveline gasped, placing her fist over her heart and bowing slightly, as was the common way most greeted the woman. However, Fenris was not most people, and he couldn't help but feel suspicious at the woman's calm attitude given everything that just happened. Especially with one of her own sisters lying dead a few feet away.

"I don't understand. Did you see what happened?" Fenris asked in a careful tone. He was still never quite sure which side the woman remained on, yet he wouldn't risk angering the one woman of power who seemed the most supportive of his Hawke.

"The Maker knows all and sees all. And sometimes he guides his servants to witness events that they would have missed normally." Elthina replied dryly. She took a few steps and bent down beside Sister Patrice's body, yet was careful not to touch it. "I knew of Petrice's distrust of the Qunari. In the beginning, it seemed like nothing more than honest concern for the welfare of the people. But as time grew, I began to witness and learn of things that greatly upset me."

"Then why didn't you stop her?" Isabella asked. Standing up again, Elthina looked over at her and for a moment smiled softly, like she was remembering something pleasant.

"Petrice was not always the sour, mean soul you have seen. It was only after her younger brother was killed by the Qunari that she turned so hateful against them. I tried to counsel her, yet it was no use. She refused to listen to reason and instead worked behind my back to increase the gap between us and the Qunari." Elthina looked over to the other people who lay dead at the companion's hands. "I couldn't stop her, not without causing more ire in the people. I had hoped that after the incident with the Qunari delegation that perhaps my talks had helped her. For a while, Petrice seemed to return to her old self again. But like everything else, it was only a mask she showed. It is unfortunate that I did not see it sooner."

"So what now?"

"I would ask one more thing of you, Fenris. Take your group and inform Viscount Dumar of this tragedy. He must know of this. Then when you are done, I ask that you return here and help clean up this mess. This is a house of worship, not a battle field. Blood and corpses do not belong here." replied Elthina. After nodding to the group, Elthina turned and ascended the steps that led back upstairs.

"Telling a man that his only son was killed to help fuel a war that he has been trying to prevent for years. Not how I imagined spending my day." huffed Varric.

Looking around at the corpses and then to his companions, Fenris stiffened his back. Even after delivering the news to the Viscount, he still had to explain to Hawke about what happened here. Surely she was expecting him back hours ago. Yet with how things had turned out, Fenris wasn't sure he could face her.

"Come. We waste time." Fenris barked before turning to leave the Chantry. Slowly his friends followed behind him, their hearts heavy from all that happened.

* * *

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* * *

Hawke leaned heavily on one of the poster beams of her bed. It took quite a bit of effort, but she was finally standing. Even though it was purely because of her leaning on the wood, she didn't care. She stood all by herself!

Ever since Fenris left that morning, Hawke has been keeping herself busy with her exercises. And after several hours of him still not returning, Hawke put even more of herself into what she was doing. She didn't want to worry about what was keeping him, so instead Hawke pushed herself so hard she was sure her muscles would kill her in the morning. But it kept her mind off her sexy elf and all the possible dangers he could get into.

Taking a minute to steady herself, Hawke decided to test her balance and let go of the poster beam.

For a few, glorious seconds, Hawke stood completely unaided in what seemed like ages. However the action proved to be too much and she went crashing down to the floor.

"Dammit! Maker forsaken body!" Hawke let out a whole string of curses as fresh pain swept over her body.

"You know, I don't think I ever heard you swear like that. I think you could even make the Maker blush."

Hawke looked to where the familiar voice was and gasped when she her old friend standing casually next to the balcony door.

"_Anders_?" whispered Hawke, a mixture of fear, happiness, and frustration filling her. She still didn't quite remember the fight that resulted in her death, but being alone with the man who killed her - friend or no - still brought a sharp pang of fear into her.

"In the flesh." Anders bowed slightly at her. "Can I... Do you need help?"

Hawke looked up at him and saw the pain in his eyes even though he tried to hide it. His mask of nonchalance might usually work around others, but she had known the man for far to long to be fooled by it anymore. However, Hawke still wasn't sure if she could trust him.

"No. I'm.. fine... ugh!" Hawke tried to swing her body around and crawl back to her bed, yet her legs were still stiff. And when she brought one of her knees up to push herself forward, she knocked it painfully against her bed.

At once Anders was by her side and scooping her up into his arms. Shocked by his actions, Hawke couldn't speak as he laid her carefully down on her bed. Before she could even decide to either thank the mage for his help or curse him for touching her, Anders began to pour healing magick into her. Not only did the pain in her knee vanish, but her sore and tired muscles instantly felt better.

"You need to be more careful, Hawke. Fenris is right; you push yourself too hard."

"What are you doing here? And how do you know what Fenris said?" Hawke questions dubiously.

"I am sure the answer to both those questions would only get you more pissed at me, so perhaps I shouldn't say anything." Anders smiled down on her in the bed and was again amazed at how beautiful she was. The memory of her in his arms a few moments ago made his body ache, yet he knew he shouldn't be here. "I should probably actually go."

Hawke reached out and grabbed his hand to keep him from leaving her. "Why are you here?" she whispered softly to him.

Anders could tell by the tone of her voice that the question wasn't meant as an accusation or as a threat. It was just pure curiosity, laden heavy with feeling. What feelings precisely, Anders didn't let himself thing about. Sighing, Anders sat down on the bed next to her. Suddenly unable to meet her eyes, instead he stared at her hand in his own.

"Honestly, I don't know. Logic and reason tells me I should be as far as I can from this place. The templars raided my clinic after I escaped so I don't even really have a place to hide. However, as many times as I told myself that I should leave... I couldn't." Taking a deep breath, Anders looked up into her violent eyes before continuing. "I couldn't leave you, Iris."

Hawke gasped as she heard her real name on his lips. As far as she knew, only her family and Fenris knew her name. Yet hearing it coming from Anders set her stomach fluttering.

"How... How do you..."

"I've known for a while. I heard Bethany call you it once while we were in the Hanged Man... I am so sorry I couldn't save her for you."

Hawke watched the pain and regret in his eyes. Not a day went by did she not think of or miss her sister. Unlike her brother and her mother, Bethany's death plagued her the most. It was because of her insistence that Bethany came with them into the Deep Roads. And it was because she promised to leave Anders behind that she didn't have the option of turning her into a Grey Warden like him.

It was even her blade that ended Bethany's life. Much like Aveline and Wesley, Hawke decided to save her sister from the long and painful death that the taint caused in its victims. They couldn't even bring her body back to Kirkwall for a proper burial, either. The pain of it all still weighed heavy on her mind and caused her still so much grief.

The silence between them hung like an oppressive blanket over them. Hawke wasn't sure she could trust her voice with all the pain she felt at the moment. And Anders wasn't sure what he should say. He knew nothing he could say would bring back Hawke's family, nor take away what he did to her. The very thought of simply saying '_I'm sorry_' sounded so hollow and callous even in his ears. How could he apologize for everything that had happened? Because of him, Hawke suffered countless times at the hands of those demons in the Fade, nearly killing her again. And now her body was weak from disuse, causing her even more pain and frustration.

"I didn't mean... I mean, I know it was my fault... But that's never..." Anders tried again to explain his regret at Justice's actions. Seeing her that night, in Fenris' arms... It lit a rage in him that he didn't even think possible. He was so focused on his anger at the elf that he let his jealousy hurt the only person he ever really cared for.

"Why did you come here that night? Was it because of my mother?" Hawke whispered, finally voicing the question that had plagued her since she awoke and was told the details of that night.

"In part. I mean, I knew you were suffering, and I wanted to see if there was anything I could do. But there was also another, more selfish reason..."

Hawke saw the anger mixed with embarrassment in his face and wondered what he was thinking about. Since they had met in his clinic three years ago, the two of them had become close. Hawke sympathized with his anger at the Circle and the way the templars treated the mages. Although she didn't always agree with his methods or his idea of eradicating the Circle altogether, Hawke and Anders found themselves fast and firm friends.

"After what happened between you and... Fenris..." the name was filled such anger and lethality that it startled Hawke for a moment. "After, you were so upset. Everyone could see it. And it made me so angry that he would hurt you like that. He got the chance that I have been dreaming of since we met, and he just threw it away. I wanted to kill him for it."

"What do you mean by 'the chance you dreamed of'?"

"Hawke... Iris... Whatever you wish to be called... I care about you... A lot more than I probably should."

Hawke sat there speechless. She had always thought of them as close, and she always had a crush on the man, but she never thought he felt that way about her. Their friendship was always easy, and many times did they tease and harass each other like her and Carver used to do. In a lot of ways, Anders reminded her of her brother. Passionate, genuine, giving... And when they got their mind set on something, there was no swaying either of them.

"I don't... I don't know what to say..."

"You don't need to say anything. I know how you feel towards Fenris. Even though I don't understand it, and it drives me nuts to think of you with someone else, I care about you too much to come between you two." Anders quietly admitted. And as much as it pained him, it was true. Anders despised the elf, thinking him wild and dangerous. And after the way he turned against her when they faced that Pride Demon while saving that elven mage in the Fade, Anders couldn't understand why she kept going back to him.

But then... Fenris was the one who saved Hawke from those demons. Anders was still unsure of why that black-haired woman thought he was so important. Although Anders had to admit, beating on that demon who took Fenris' form was highly therapeutic.

"You were there... weren't you? When I was trapped in the Fade..."

Hawke didn't know why she though that. Fenris never mentioned Anders and neither did anyone else. Although to be honest, it's not like she really has spoken to anyone since she awoke. But something inside made her think that somehow, Anders played a part in her rescue.

"Yes. Not for long. I helped Fenris defeat a powerful demon, and then I faded from there." Anders still felt ashamed that he couldn't do more for her. He had spent a good amount of money trying to see if anyone knew who that woman was or had any idea how Hawke was doing afterwards. Yet nobody seemed to know anything about either woman. Which was odd, seeing as at least with Hawke, she was on many people's lists to watch or inquire about. However no word other than the fact that she had awoken circled amongst those who dealt in information.

Anders even paid someone three whole sovereigns to get information out of Varric. So either the dwarf was keeping Hawke's condition a secret because it was really bad, or even he didn't know. Both scenarios didn't sit well with Anders, which led to him to start spying on Hawke from afar. And so, whenever he could, he would sneak into the shadows and watch Hawke progress each day. Seeing for himself how weak she had become made his guilt worse, yet it explained why no one knew much about her. No way would his proud and stubborn Hawke admit something like this to outsiders. No, she was too strong for that.

His spying was what actually led him to her room this night. From the shadows, Anders watched proudly as Hawke managed to pull herself up to standing. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to keep her from falling. Seeing it as another failure of his is what drove the apostate mage to risk speaking with her after all this time. The need to protect her still rang strong in him, and he thought that if he could just help her one last time, it would go a long way in easing his guilt. The problem was that speaking with her now only seemed to drive him further insane. She was so close, Anders could again smell her lovely and intoxicating scent. The need inside of him to reach out and touch her was almost too much for him to bear.

"Do you regret-"

"Every second of every day. I spent months in the Gallows at the mercy of the templars there. Yet I never tried to escape because I knew it was what I deserved for what I did."

"But you're free now."

"Only because you needed me."

"What do you mean?"

"While I was imprisoned, a woman came to me. She helped me to escape and brought me to you. I... When I saw you... Oh Maker, I never wanted anything to happen to you, Hawke!" Tears formed in Anders eyes as he remembered the way she looked the night he escaped. The image still haunted his dreams and was one of the main reasons he tried so hard to find out how she was since she awakened. And when he first spied her, his heart stopped in relief that she no longer looked like a living wraith. Lush and full again, Hawke was again the woman he remembered, smiling up at him when she helped out in his clinic or joining on their banter as they journeyed.

Hawke didn't know why, but sitting across from her old friend, she couldn't raise the fear and mistrust she should be feeling at being so close to the man who killed her. All she felt was his grief over everything, and the deep caring that filled his eyes when he looked at her. So instead of pushing him away like any sane or rational person might do, Hawke pulled her mage friend into a tight embrace.

_What the heck? She never claimed to be sane or rational to begin with._

Anders' breath caught as he felt Hawke's arms encircle him. Nothing could have prepared him for her open and welcoming touch. At best Anders expected her to cruelly banish him from her sight, never wanting to see him again. At worst, she would call for the guards first before telling him to leave.

But this? It was more than he could even dream of happening. Anders knew full well how everything that transpired in the last few months was because of him and his uncontrolled anger. And to feel Hawke reach out to comfort _him_ after everything he had done? Absolutely inconceivable!

Together they stayed like that for an untold amount of time, yet Anders still felt it was all too soon when Hawke pulled away again. There wasn't even anger in her eyes when she looked up at him. Instead there was warmth and compassion... Everything he knew he didn't deserve, yet still was eternally grateful for.

The need to bend down and kiss her screamed loud in his mind. No, not just kiss her... But to take her completely. Still his ears rang of her cries of pleasure from the night before with Fenris. Yes, he had been watching when Fenris took again what he craved so badly. However instead of continuing to listen in like some kind of pervert, Anders left and found another spot, further away to watch. This time Anders watched the front door, ready to kill the bastard if he decided to leave Hawke like he did before. Yet he never left her house until that morning. Honestly, Anders wasn't sure whether to be happy about that or even more angry at it.

"Anders, I... Me and..." Hawke started. She too could feel the chemistry between them at the moment. And a part of her wanted to taste his lips as much as he wanted to taste her. But she knew it wouldn't be fair to Fenris. She loved him, despite the feelings she still held for Anders. And the two men couldn't stand each other.

"I know, love. And I wouldn't want to do anything to cause you more pain. Which is why I should perhaps go, before something happens that you regret. I, however, would most likely love it though..." Anders chuckled. Hawke was happy to see the warm spark again his eyes. Thinking back, it was a look that he primarily saved for her, and again she wondered how she could have missed such a thing before.

"Will you come and visit me again?"

Anders looked at her expectant eyes and felt his chest clench at her hopeful expression. He knew he shouldn't. Hell, Anders knew that he should never have came to see her at all, let alone be sitting next to Hawke on her bed! But there was something in her eyes that Anders just couldn't say no to. Maker help him, Anders always had a problem saying no to her.

"I... I will try. Although, I can make no promises. I am still a wanted man, after all."

"Wanted by this city or not, I want my friend back." admitted Hawke a little heatedly. Despite everything, Hawke couldn't deny the feelings she had for the man. Yes, he was dangerous. But so was Fenris. So was she before all this happened, and would be again. And a large part inside of her knew that what happened was a mistake. One that haunted Anders still, and would probably do so for the rest of his life. He was no killer of innocents. Just a man who cared too deeply.

"And you shall have him, my lady. But for now I must go before a certain broody elf finds his arch rival not only in his lover's room, but in her bed. Somehow I don't think that would end well."

Hawke laughed softly, even though she knew he was right. Anders lifted her hand to his lips and placed a hot yet soft kiss on her palm. Than standing up, Anders smiled warmly and winked at her again.

"See you soon, my lady." Anders said softly before disappearing out the balcony.

Hawke sighed and leaned back against the headboard of her bed. She knew this was wrong. She knew she probably shouldn't trust him. And she definitely knew that she should tell Fenris that Anders was here as soon as Fenris returned.

However, her heart argued against every one of those points. Especially the one that told her that she should tell Fenris.

"Dear Maker... What I am supposed to do?"


	19. Honor and Responsibility

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.

So, quite a bit happens in this chapter, yet I skipped over most of the fighting. Fight scenes just never turn out the way I want them too, so I just tend to skip over them for the most part. But anyway, even though a lot happens, this all takes place in **one** day, just so you know.

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

(Translations are at the bottom of the page, btw!)

* * *

"**No**."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

Hawke glared at Fenris as he stood in front of the door that led out of her estate. Sure, she wasn't walking perfectly yet, but she could now at least stand by herself and walk for short distances before she needed to rest again. So she didn't understand why Fenris was still not allowing her out of the house yet.

Yet there he stood, his arms crossed over his chest and his features set in stone. Maker, she never met a more stubborn man in her entire life!

"Aveline said she needed me! It's only a quick trip to see the Qunari to talk with them! I'm fine, Fenris!" yelled Hawke.

As if to prove his point, Fenris took his hand and gently pushed on Hawke's forehead, making her fall flat on her rear end.

"You are not _fine_, Iris. You still need to rest. Aveline can handle this on her own."

"That's not fair! I wasn't expecting that!" Hawke huffed as she stood up again, which she hated to admit was still a little difficult.

"That's the point! I am not about to let you go out and confront the Qunari when you can barely stand! What if they attack you?" Fenris growled, his brands lighting up slightly.

"I am not a child, Fenris!"

"And I am not about to lose you again!" Fenris roared back.

The silence that fell was deafening. Both of them stood there, unmoving and caught up in their own feelings.

Hawke was tired of staying in her estate, seeing only those Fenris deemed "appropriate" at the time. Which although thankfully extended to her friends, but pretty much no one else. After so long being cooped up, Hawke felt she was going mad from the lack of interaction with the outside world. Anders hadn't come back to see her since that first time. Even if she wasn't fully one hundred percent, Hawke needed to get out and to be involved with people again.

Fenris on the other hand, told himself that Hawke just simply was not ready to deal with the various threats that dwelled outside of her home. Yet inside he knew the truth was that he was terrified of losing again the woman he loved. The thought of which pained him so deeply that it made his chest hurt. Deep down, he knew eventually he had to let her rejoin the world, but the selfish part of him had been enjoying the time they spent together in the estate.

The past week they have spent nearly every moment together. Fenris would continue to help her strengthen her muscles by doing walking exercises and small weight lifting, and she would return the favor by reading to him later in the evening. Intimacy was still rather awkward for the two of them still, though, but Fenris didn't mind as long as he just simply got be to near Hawke and be able to touch her.

However now, Fenris was about to strangle Aveline for barging into the estate over an hour ago stating she needed Hawke's expertise on getting a couple of criminals away from the Qunari. If that wasn't bad enough, Isabella has been trying to sneak in to see Hawke for the past couple of days now, as well.

"Then come with me." Hawke finally stated calmly. She knew Fenris wouldn't let her out by herself, so she was hoping that he would agree if he came with her. "It's the Qunari, I could even use your help. You made quite the impression on the Arishok a couple of years ago if I remember correctly. Plus there was that time before Saemus..."

"Iris I-"

"Knock knock! Hawke! You in there?!" Isabella screamed from the other side of the door. "It seems like the door is stuck! I can't open it! **Hawke**! Hawke, I need you! Oh come on, Hawke! It's really important this time!"

Fenris growled under his breath at the pirate's continued attempts to open the door he was blocking. "Go away, Isabella! I told you yesterday to find someone else!" he yelled back through the door.

"What do you mean you 'told her yesterday'? You didn't tell me that Isabella came by."

Inwardly Fenris cursed at his slip up. Since Hawke awoke, he had been trying to limit their companions near constant need for Hawke to help them with some sort of problem or another.

"The wench came by before, believing she yet again found the fabled relic she has been hunting for the last few years."

"So you told her to go? Fenris! What if she is right this time?" Anger and disbelief at Fenris' actions blazed in Hawke's eyes.

"**I'M GOING TO DIE**!"

Hawke shoved a stunned Fenris to the side and opened the door for her friend. "What in the name of-"

"Good! That got your attention." smirked Isabella as she walked past Hawke and into the entrance hall.

"Isabella! You better have a good reason for this." warned Fenris. Already he wasn't in a very good mood at first being interrupted by Aveline, then Hawke's insistence to go walking into the den of the Qunari. Now with Isabella pushing her way into the house, Fenris was close to killing something.

"What's this about you dying? Or was that just to get in the house?" Hawke asked, her own skepticism and annoyance showing in her tone and stance.

"That bit is true. _Sort of_..."

"Isabella!" Hawke replied in warning.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Isabella finally explained about how she finally located the relic she had been searching for. Apparently someone by the name of 'Wall-Eyed Same' had the relic and Isabella believes that if she can get a hold of it, her old boss Castillon won't kill her.

"And how did you find out about this?"

"Sam has been all over the city, talking to black market dealers. Honestly I am surprised that Castillon hasn't already found him. But that is why you and me need to move quickly, Hawke!"

"So how does this involve me, again?" questioned Hawke.

"Simple! You and I go see Sam. Something exciting happens, then **profit**!" Isabella grinned widely, obviously thinking that this was somehow a good plan.

"You can't be serious..."

"Okay, so it isn't the best plan! But something needs to be done, Hawke! Or I guarantee you I _will_ be dead if Castillon gets a hold of the book before I do."

"There are others, wench. Hawke is in no shape to be going off on one of your crazy schemes."

"Aveline is a guard and will be noticed right away. Merrill - I love her - but she wouldn't be able to pull this off with me. Varric has already promised to come, but we're dead if it's just the two of us. And **_you_**hate me." Isabella said pointedly to Fenris.

"Fenris doesn't hate you, Isabella."

"Yes I do."

"Yes he does."

Hawke looked back and forth between them as they answered together. Sighing in frustration, Hawke pinched the bridge of her nose as she thought about what to do.

"Fine. We'll deal with you and Sam, _then_ I am going to go with Aveline to speak with the Qunari."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"And my vote is yes, so you're outnumbered on this one, Fenris."

"There is **no** **way** I am letting you out of this house just you can go and get yourself killed, Hawke!"

"Oh lighten up, wolfy. Hawke here will be fine."

Hawke tried to hold back the giggles that erupted when she heard Isabella call Fenris '_wolfy_' and as well the furious look Fenris leveled on her in return.

"_Wolfy_? Is there something I need to know?"

"**No**!"

At his one word reply, Hawke couldn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing with Isabella joining in. Fury raged in Fenris as he watched the two women nearly be brought to tears in front of him. Isabella he could kill... But it frustrated Fenris how there wasn't really anything he could do about Hawke.

"Enough! Isabella, you need to leave. Find some other person to fall victim to your plans!" he growled, opening the door to try to get Isabella to leave. However, on the other side of the door was Aveline and Varric.

Aveline looked back and forth between the still giggling Hawke and Isabella and the furious glower of Fenris. "Well, it seems we came at the right time. It's good to see you up and ready to go, Hawke. Although I suggest picking up some new armor when we pass through Lowtown. They have some pretty good deals on now."

"What is with you people? Hawke is no condition to be going off headlong into one of your schemes!"

"Hey! I don't '_scheme_'! I _plan_!"

"And they only turn into schemes _after_ I write about them."

"Yeah, _wolfy_. **_I'm _**the one who schemes."

Fenris' lyrium brands began to glow as his frustration increased. Why in the name of Maker did he still interact with these people?

"I promise I will be careful, Fenris."

_That _was the reason.

Fenris looked down at Hawke and saw her small pout and pleading eyes. Did she really have to use _that_ look on him?

"Ugh... Fine. But you are going nowhere without me, Hawke. And if I think the situation becomes too dangerous, I am getting you **out of there**. Understand me?"

"Hey, I'm the one who invited you to come along _first_, remember? And yes, I will be careful. This is just a simple conversation with the Qunari and a simple snatch and grab of a relic. Right?" Hawke looked over to Isabella, hoping that was all the woman had in mind.

"You have my word. No fighting, I swear." Isabella drew a cross with her finger over her heart.

Grumbling, Fenris knew this was going to end _much_ worse than they thought it would. But short of tying Hawke down to the bed, he knew there was no way to get Hawke to leave this nonsense to the others. And after everything he'd been through in his life, Fenris would never do that to another person. So he had only one option left, and that was to do everything he could to keep his stubborn woman alive.

* * *

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* * *

"So how did the talk with the Qunari go?" Isabella asked as she leaned against the dock worker's stand.

"You know, I am really getting tired of you disappearing whenever we go near the Qunari compound." Hawke replied, obviously annoyed at the pirate.

"What can I say? Those horns freak me out. Just the thought of them will give me nightmares for weeks!"

Hawke looked closely at her friend. Over the years, Hawke had begun to think that she knew her scantily clad pirate friend pretty well. They had spent many nights together at the Hanged Man or at her home discussing everything under the sun, from men to shoes. Yet whenever Hawke brought up the Qunari, Isabella always avoided the question - or as in the case tonight and others - avoided the Qunari themselves.

She knew there was more to the story than simply the horns bothering Isabella. There was always an excuse with her - some reason to dash away at the last moment whenever they got close to their compound here in the docks. Yet no matter how hard Hawke or anyone else tried, the woman would never say a word about it. Or she would just simply joke around and deflect the question.

To say it was irritating was putting it mildly.

"Uh huh. Well, for your information we were ever so rudely kicked out by the Arishok and his fellows by spear point."

Isabella ran over to Hawke and looked her over, trying to see if she was injured. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Hawke replied dismissively. "But let's just say that I am glad that I picked up that better set of armor earlier."

Fenris growled at Hawke's cavalier attitude to the way they barely escaped the Qunari. "I do not find this amusing, Hawke. Some of those spears nearly hit you!"

"But they didn't. And I happen to know the Qunari enough that if they actually planned on hitting me, they would have. That was more of a warning."

"A warning that I would like to avoid in the future." Aveline added stiffly.

"Awe, buck up, man-hands! You're part is done here! _ I_ still need my relic!"

"Thank you for letting us deal with the Qurnai first, Isabella."

"Hey, I didn't have much of a choice did I Hawke? From what I heard the bloody bastard won't leave his hide-out until nightfall. The good news is that I found out that he is supposed to meeting one of his contacts down in Lowtown soon."

"Well, I have to go back to Keep and inform the Viscount about this utter failure." Aveline sighed and rubbed her forehead. "This isn't going to be fun."

"And Varric is waiting for us at the Hanged Man."

"Why do I have the feeling that you are not telling us everything, wench?" growled Fenris.

"Most likely because I never do. But the mystery is part of my attraction, is it not?" Isabella replied with a wink.

"**No**." Aveline and Fenris said together.

"Okay, enough bickering. Can we just get this over with?" Hawke said as she rubbed her sore shoulder muscles.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go back home?"

Hawke smiled up at Fenris' complete change of moods. One moment being furious with Isabella to the look of pure concern in his eyes as he looked upon her. He even put his arm around her waist in a subconscious act of protection.

"I'm fine, Fenris. Although a hot bath when all of this over does sound tempting."

Fenris' eyes lit up with mischief when he thought of Hawke naked in the bath. "I could always give you some company..." Fenris offered suggestively.

"Okay... This is where I call it a night. Hawke, please come see me in the morning. There are some plan I wish to go over with you incase the Qunari are in planning on attacking the city." Aveline nodded briskly to her companions before heading back towards Hightown where the Keep was.

"Somehow I don't think it is just an idle threat..." Hawke whispered under her breath.

"Neither do I."

"Which is why we need to hurry up and go get my relic from Sam. With my luck the bastard will get slaughtered and I will never get my hands on the relic!"

Hawke and Fenris looked over at Isabella and sighed, thinking that this was just the start of what was going to turn into a very _long_ night.

* * *

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* * *

At that moment, Hawke was ready to kill Isabella. And not in the friendly '_I'll kill you for that_' type of way that Hawke and her companions sometimes bickered like.

No, this was more like '_I am so going to fucking kill that treacherous bitch! When I am through there will be nothing left to identify!_'

Standing in front of the Arishok, Hawke felt like she could barely stand. Breathing in heavy, ragged breaths, Hawke still couldn't belive the bitch betrayed her like that. After all the years of friendship - all the years of shared stories, drunken parties, shopping sprees and tears shed over hurts and frustrations... Isabella up and left her and took the blasted Qunari Tome with her!

Yes, her _relic_ was no mere idle piece of treasure. No, it was the one book the Qunari base their entire way of life and religion around! The same blasted tome that had kept them in Kirkwall these past few years! And what did Hawke have to show for her trust? A dead Viscount, countless murdered citizens, and a **_very_** pissed off Arishok in front of her, demanding that she turn over the tome _and_ Isabella.

Neither of which Hawke had any fucking clue where they happened to be.

After they had killed off the Tevinter mages and other enemies back in the warehouse, Hawke turned around to discover Isabella had run off... _with_ _the relic_. She even left a note apologizing - _apologizing_ - for taking off like that. However her apology meant very little right now as she stared down a man who was easily three times the size of her. Also, her apology did little to end the war that broke out almost immediately after the woman disappeared.

Beside her, Fenris, Varric, and Aveline all had their weapons ready, waiting for the signal to attack. Already Hawke had been through her fair share of healing potions just _getting_ to the Keep. And staring at the hulking Qunari just made Hawke wish she listened to Fenris that morning and stayed in bed.

"Where is the thief, Serah Hawke? I am losing my patience!" the Arishok growled at her.

Hawke just continued to stare at him, her face a mixture of hatred and fatigue. She had no idea what to say that would appease the giant, or provide some possibility that didn't end with her and friends dying gruesomely at the hands of the army of Qunari behind the Arishok.

"I **_told _**you, Arishok... I-"

"Here is your relic!"

Hawke spun around to see Isabella march through the heavy doors and into the audience chamber where they were. A wave of conflicting emotions swam over Hawke as she watched the woman she had called friend for three years approach them. However, Isabella only gave Hawke a wink coupled with a coy smile before again addressing the Arishok.

"Here is your book! Still all pretty and in one piece. Which is how I would like you to leave my friends, by the way." Isabella said as she handed the book over to the Arishok.

Grabbing it from her hands, the Arishok carefully opened the book and looked through it, obviously making sure it was genuine and not some fake to try to fool him.

"Perhaps there still is honor to be seen amongst your people." The Arishok grunted.

"So, you got your relic. You're free to leave now." replied Aveline.

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

The Arishok glared down at Isabella as he handed the sacred text off to one of his people. "You have committed crimes against the Qun. For this, you must be punished." The Arishok then turned to Hawke before speaking again. "You will hand over the thief. We will take her back to Serahon where she will be judged and punished according to our way."

Isabella's eyes widened as fear filled her. Inwardly, she cursed herself for ever returning and was seriously wondering if she could somehow remove that annoying thing called a 'conscience'. "What?! No, no, no, no! Hawke please! You can't do that! They'll kill me!" she pleaded desperately.

Hawke looked into her former friend's eyes and tried to think of what to do. Her morals told her that she should refuse the Arishok's offer. Who knows what the race of giants would do to Isabella once they had her... Then there was the part of her that wondered what the Qunari would do to the innocent people of Kirkwall if she refused. Already, so many had died needless deaths...

On top of that, Hawke was still very pissed and quite hurt over Isabella's betrayal. Not only had the woman lied to them for years over the exact nature of the relic she sought, but because of her secrecy and theft, unknown amounts of people have died due to the Qunari still being in Kirkwall - some being Qunari as well. There was even a war outside going on because Isabella thought it better to keep the exact information of the relic to herself.

Perhaps if Hawke and the others had known what they were looking for, it could have been found quicker. Or perhaps a deal could have been struck with the Qunari that could have avoided all this bloodshed. Perhaps Saemus, the Viscount, and even Sister Petrice would still be alive if only Isabella had trusted her with the truth.

Common sense dictated that Hawke do whatever was best for the city of Kirkwall... However, what that was eluded her at the moment.

"And if I refuse?" Hawked glared at the Arishok, trying to keep her voice level.

"Then you leave us no option but to fight. I have come to respect you, Serah Hawke. But the demands of the Qun cannot be denied!" replied the Arishok, unsheathing his massive weapon.

"And what of a duel? That would appease the Qun and restore the honor of the one who stole from you."

Hawke couldn't hide her shock and surprise at Fenris' offer. If things could be solved so easily, perhaps it was a better way. But who would fight in the duel?

The Arishok was silent for several minutes as he thought over the offer. Grunting in approval, he finally accepted Fenris' offer.

"Then I choose to duel you, Arishok." Fenris replied, shifting his sword. Hawke looked at him in horror, yet Fenris carefully avoided her gaze and only looked at the intimidating Qunari leader.

"No. If I am to duel to appease the Qun, then it will be with the _Basalit-an_. Only those who are worthy of respect may seek the appeasement of the Qun." demanded the Arishok.

"No! Hawke is-"

"I accept, Arishok." Hawke interrupted Fenris before he could say anything more. Honestly, she hatred Isabella at that moment. But she couldn't live with herself if she sent the woman with the Qunari to await Maker knows what, nor would she be able to live knowing one of her friends - or Maker forbid Fenris himself! - died fighting in thi duel. Hawke long ago accepted her role of leader amongst her ragtag group of friends, and as such the responsibility for their actions landed upon her. Such as this duel. And if this kept more people from dying, than it was worth it.

"Very good, Serah Hawke. One on one, to the death. To the victor goes the right to choose the punishment of the _dathrasi_, known to you as 'Isabella'."

Fenris rushed over to Hawke and blocked her path before she could join the Arishok for their duel.

"Are **_mad_** Hawke? You are **no** condition to fight like this! You can barely stand as it is!"

Hawke smiled softly as she looked into his angry, emerald eyes. "This is something I have to do, Fenris. I can't live with myself if anymore die because I was too scared to stand up for I think is right."

"**And I ****_can't _****_live_**** without you!**" Fenris roared back, holding onto her shoulders. Looking down into her eyes, Fenris' expression softened dramatically as his feelings overwhelmed him. "Please, Hawke! Don't do this! Let me fight for you! _Please_..." Tears pricked at Fenris' eyes as he pleaded with her.

"_Valete corde meo_..." Hawke whispered softly, placing a soft kiss on Fenris' cheek before dodging around him and climbing the stairs up to the Arishok. Fenris cursed and tried to run to her but was stopped by several Qunari warriors. Fenris tried to push past the warriors but was painfully knocked back to the ground. Looking back up towards Hawke, Fenris' chest clenched tightly around his heart as his entire being screamed out in protest.

After everything they had been through... could this really be the end?

* * *

**Translations:**

**Basalit-an: A non-Qunari worthy of respect.**

**Dathrasi: A type of animal. Used as a derogatory term against indulgent individuals, comparable to the pig.**

**Valete corde meo: Farewell, my love.**


	20. The Arishok

Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.

This part was a little hard to write because of the fight scene, which I always have trouble writing. And yes, I know, I'm putting Hawke through a lot, but that is what makes her the story's heroine, right? Plus, I gotta show how tough and badass she is!

Again, thank you for all the reviews. As always, all of the reviews really do help push me forward to make each chapter better than the last. Please, if you like how things are going so far, or you have any ideas or any (constructive) criticism, please leave a review.

It is always appreciated! Thank you again!

**Translations:**

**Basra: Literally, "thing." Foreign to the Qun. Implication of being purposeless.**

**Basalit-an: A non-Qunari worthy of respect.**

**Triumvirate: The governing body of all of Qunari society consisting of three parts, one of which is the Arishok.**

* * *

"Oomph!" Hawke cringed as the air was knocked out of her as she was slammed against the wall. The pain was excruciating, yet Hawke knew that she couldn't give up. Not yet. Falling to her knees, Hawke breathed in harsh, ragged breaths, trying to still her spinning mind.

"Is that all you have, Serah Hawke? I am disappointed! From the stories of those in this city, I was beginning to think you were invincible!" The Arishok laughed as he roughly kicked Hawke in the face. "I guess you are like all the others, after all. How... disappointing..."

Hawke coughed up blood onto the carpet underneath her as she listened to the Arishok's condemnation of her. Yet with her ears were buzzing so much, it was a wonder she could hear him at all.

"So sorry... to disappoint you... Arishok..." Hawke's voice was raspy and thick from the blood she swallowed and the blows she endured to her face and neck. Yet Hawke wasn't about to give up just yet. Using the back of her hand, Hawke wiped the side of her mouth and then stood up again. Her legs felt like jello and Hawke was sure by this point the Arishok could just breathe on her and she would fall down again. However, there was too much at stake for her to lose now.

The Arishok raised his eyebrow as Hawke once again took an offensive stance. Obviously unsteady from the way her body wavered, however Hawke's eyes still blazed with fire and a fierce willingness to fight. "Well, you certainly have the spirit of a warrior. But you are still far from being worthy of the Qun. You have shown honor here today, _Basalit-an_. However this has gone on long enough. Are you ready to die, Serah Hawke?"

Hawke twirled her daggers around and altered her fighting stance as she leveled a heated glare upon the Qunari leader. "You should ask yourself that, Arishok. For as long as I breathe, I will not stop until I have your head!"

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"HAWKE!" Fenris felt helpless as he watched the woman he loved being thrown around like she was some doll. By all accounts, the woman should be dead, yet there she stood, still standing in defence of Kirkwall and her friends. If Fenris wasn't so terrified of her dying, he might actually be able to appreciate her tenacity.

"Back up, _Basra_. None shall interfere!"

Again Fenris was knocked painfully down by a Qunari warrior. Snapping his head up, Fenris leaped onto the warrior, ghosting his hand through his chest. However, just as he killed the warrior, three more appeared around him. Instinctively Fenris lashed out at the closest one, gouging a deep gash into the warrior's chest. In response, another Qunari smashed the blunt end of his weapon into Fenris' face, the momentum knocking Fenris onto his back.

"**None shall interfere!**" The warrior who stuck him roared before plunging his sword into Fenris' stomach. Fenris' lyrium brands blazed as pain consumed him, sapping his strength from him. The slight squishing sound the blade made as it was pulled from his flesh echoed sickening in Fenris' ears.

"Hawke... No..." Fenris gasped as he instinctively tried holding his wound shut. His mind flashed quickly to the all too brief time he had spent with his Hawke. The times they read together; times he spent teaching Hawke Arcanum; the way she smiled up at him; but the two images that stayed in his mind were the two glorious times he spent in her bed, making love to her.

Funny, he was always told your life flashed before your eyes before you died. Yet there were no images of his time as a slave with Denarius. Or even his time spent alone as a fugitive. The only memories that came to his mind were ones involving Hawke. However, it made sense seeing as his life only truly began when he met her. And now he was breaths away from dying, unable to save the only woman who ever really cared for him.

"Hold on, you blasted idiot. I won't have Hawke hating me because I let you die. So you better grind your teeth and stay with me. After all, I have spent enough time in Fade to last the rest of my life. The last thing I need is to go back there and drag your screaming soul back to your body." A familiar voice said quietly to him.

Fenris opened his eyes, trying to see the man who spoke. Beside him, Fenris could barely make out the man, yet could see enough of him to make his anger spike despite his injuries.

Weakly Fenris tried to push the man away, growling in displeasure.

"Yes, yes. You can hate me later. Right now I need to fix up this gaping hole in your gut. So be a good rival and stay still." Anders replied as he began to pour healing magick into Fenris. With the aid of the lyrium mixing in with his blood, it took only moments for the wound to seal and heal fully.

As soon as the pain ended, Fenris' shot up into an attack stance, hefting his great sword easily in front of him.

Anders looked up at him and sighed dejectedly. "Honestly! I just saved your life, and you want to kill me?"

"Why are you here, _abomination_?" Fenris hissed out, still deathly poised to attack.

"Because I am an idiot, obviously. If I wasn't, I would probably be half-way to the Anderfels by now." Anders replied as he stood up. Dusting himself off, he looked up at Fenris and smiled sadly. "No, if you'll excuse me, I have a friend to save. Try not to die in the meantime, okay?"

Anders turned and disappeared into the tight throng of people again. Fenris tried to reach out and grab onto him, but just managed to grab a couple of feathers from Anders' cloak. Cursing, Fenris scanned the crowd, yet the apostate mage was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

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* * *

Hawke barely ducked in time as the Arishok's heavy axe crashed into the wall above her. Taking the small advantage, Hawke slashed at the Qunari's inner thigh, then dodged around behind him, using her other blade to slash at the tendon in his ankle. However, she wasn't quick enough to dodge the elbow that landed square in her jaw that resulted from her attack.

Roaring out in pain, the Arishok collapsed down to one knee, using his weapon to balance himself. Hawke landed flat on her back, her head knocking painfully against the floor. Seeing stars, Hawke knew she had to get further away or the fight would be over quickly. Rolling over to her stomach, she started weakly crawling away from the injured Arishok. However Hawke's strength was quickly leaving her, only carrying her a few feet before her limbs refused to work anymore.

Hawke rested her head on the cold floor, knowing that this was probably the end. She couldn't move even a finger in defence of herself, yet it wouldn't be much longer before the Arishok recovered enough to finish her off.

"HAWKE!"

Hawke heard Fenris' voice echo over the clamor of the people down below. Distantly, she wished that he didn't have to see her die like this. Weak and begging on the floor. Gathering her last bit of strength, Hawke lifted her head to where the voice came from, hoping for a last look at the man she loved before she died.

However what she saw filled her with dread. Fenris had leaped onto on of the Qunari guards, killing him. Then was immediately attacked by several others who knocked him back to the ground. Hawke then watched horrified as one of the Qunari lifted his blade then sunk it down into Fenris' stomach.

_No! You can't die, Fenris! No... Not like this... Not like this..._

Hawke felt a deep, seething rage build inside of her, filling her with white-hot anger. Grunting painfully, Hawke found herself raising herself from the floor until she stood on her unsteady legs. Her entire body screamed out in vile protest, but instead of immobilizing her, the pain only fed her inner anger, driving it higher.

"Hawke! Hawke!" a voice called out from the crowd. Hawke scanned the people for the voice she knew so well. Standing behind several others, there he was. Hawke couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Anders waving at her like a mad man. It seemed like he was pointing at something behind her, yet it took her a moment before her mind cleared enough to understand what he was saying.

"Im-Impressive H-Hawke... I will make sure... to tell the Triumvirate... of your strength in battle... When I return with your head!"

Hawke looked behind her in time to see the Arishok in a bitter rage, rushing towards her. Madness shined from his eyes as he zeroed in on her and rushed forward. Hawke barely had enough time to dodge roll to the side, missing his axe by a hair. Unable to stop himself due to her dodge, the Arishok crashed into one of the pillars beside the stair well, almost knocked it down from the impact.

By this point Hawke could barely see, yet there was no missing the slight shimmer that covered the Arishok's body. Whipping her head over to where Anders stood, Hawke saw his deep look of concentration as he cast his hex spells on the infuriated Qunari leader.

Seizing the opportunity - as it was most likely the last - Hawke pushed herself up and ran head long at the Arishok. His back was still turned, letting her use his own body as a spring-board, launching herself up onto his shoulders. Screaming out in a deathly war cry, Hawke punched one of her daggers deep into his jugular, severing the artery there and acting as an anchor, keeping her on his back as the Arishok staggered. With the other dagger, Hawke ripped open his throat, slashing deep enough to hit the bone of his spine on the other side.

The Arishok stumbled for a few seconds, the life draining from his body. Then with a mighty crash, the now dead Qunari leader fell face first to the ground below. The force of the impact causing Hawke to fly off and roll down the nearby stairs.

As her body finally came to a stop, everything seemed like a blur. Voices around her were muffled and distant, and her eyes refused to focus, causing everything to blur together like a painting caught in the rain. Whether she was about to die or not, she didn't know. With Fenris dead, the will to live left her as quickly as her previous anger came, leaving Hawke completely spent.

Inwardly, Hawke mused that she already died once, so it couldn't have been too bad.

Just as Hawke's eyes were about to close for the last time, a blurry form appeared before her. It seemed to be calling her name, yet the sound was dulled, she couldn't be sure. Funny, the image had white hair and piercing green eyes... Just like Fenris did. But it couldn't be Fenris, could it?

_No... _

_Fenris was gone... _

_Dead... _

_Just like she was... right?_

* * *

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* * *

"Hawke! Hawke! Dammit woman, open your eyes!" Fenris growled, shaking her slightly. A familiar fear and dread filled him as Hawke's eyes closed again. Cursing woefully, Fenris gathered her up in his arms and cradled her to his chest. Around him, the crowd was a mixture of cheers and gasps of concern as they gathered around Fenris and Hawke.

"Everyone! Back away!" Anders shouted, coming to stand on the other side of Hawke. "I said **back away**!" The people around them shrieked in horror as Justice's voice boomed out. Slamming his staff onto the ground, a white light erupted forth, acting as further incentive for people to keep their distance. After he was certain the people would keep far enough way, Anders bent down to examine Hawke.

"Leave _abomination_!" growled Fenris, tears beginning to form at his eyes.

"Like I said before, hate me later. But I came here to do a specific job, and you're going to let me _do it_!" the raw determination yet eerie calm Fenris saw in the mage's eyes stilled any further arguments from him. Until of course the mage proved whether he could do anything to help his Hawke.

Anders laid down his staff and waved his hands slowly over Hawke's body. A blue light then began to shine down from his palms into Hawke, and was then joined by more soft light from above.

Fenris lifted his eyes to see multiple mages around them, including Orsino and Merrill, all using their healing magick on Hawke. The light mixing together until it was so bright, Fenris had to turn his head and close his eyes.

After a few moments, the light began to dim and Fenris felt something move against his arm. Looking down, Hawke laid peacefully asleep in his arms, fully alive and without a scratch on her. Gone were the bruises and cuts; the slashes in her skin and the blood from her eyes, nose and mouth. Hawke looked just like she did that morning as she laid sleeping in her bed.

Fenris couldn't believe it. Even as his touch confirmed what his eyes told him, it still felt a dream that could shatter at any moment and he would awaken to find his Hawke dead once more. Tightly Fenris pulled Hawke to him, burying his face in her neck as he whispered thankful prayers in Arcanum.

"Anders..."

Anders looked up to see the stern look of First Enchanter Orsino look down on him. Hanging his head in defeat, Anders knew that this was a possibility if he risked his presence at the Keep. Yet when he saw Hawke fighting against several Qunari while they made their way to Keep, he couldn't stop himself from following. Sneaking in had been easy, and he had hoped sneaking out would be just as easy.

"Alright, alright. But can I at least get a room with a window this time? Even a small one? It makes the beatings easier to time." Anders stated flatly as he stood up and faced the elder mage.

"I cannot overlook what happened at the Hawke estate several months ago. Nor can I overlook the miraculous escape you managed somehow mere weeks ago." The First Enchanter said coldly. His brow was furrowed in anger and frustration as he looked upon Anders, trying to decide what to do with him.

"Yes, yes. Evil mage here, I understand. But seriously, even a tiny window would be appreciated..."

"Arrest that mage!"

Anders' physically cringed when he the Knight Commander's shrill voice ring out. Yet he made no move to flee or even protect himself. Instead he fixed his eyes on Hawke's sleeping face, even though it was partially obscured by Fenris holding her.

"Meredith..."

"Orsino! I should have known! It was you who helped this apostate escape, wasn't it?!" Meredith cursed as she led several templars into the assembly room. Pushing past Orsino, she went straight for Anders and pulled something out of her pocket. "At least these monsters had the right idea when it came to their mages..." Meredith huffed as she moved to place the collar onto Anders.

"**NO!**" Fenris growled, latching hold of Meredith's arm before she could place it around Anders' neck.

"Excuse me?! This is a matter for the templars! Not some blasted ex-slave knife-ear!" she roared back, ripping her arm free.

"You heard the elf, lady. The mage belongs to us... Faults and all." Varric replied, stepping forward with Bianca ready in his hands.

"Stay out of this, dwarf! If I am not mistaken, there are some warrants against your _questionable_ activity around Kirkwall. Leave now or I might remember when I placed them!" Meredith hissed back.

"Maker forgive me, but I cannot allow you to do this, Knight Commander."

"Guard Captain? What is the meaning of this?"

"That mage risked being thrown back in the Gallows to save the woman who single-handedly saved all of Kirkwall. I think a bit of leeway is in order, Knight Commander." Aveline's eyes flared with her constrained anger. Knowing how badly the Knight Commander treated mages, Aveline wasn't about to let Anders back under her blade, no matter what the mage did in the past.

"He is a Blood Mage! He is a danger to us all!" Meredith shouted back, her face already contorting into pure rage as she faced off at Hawke's companions.

"Oh shut it you ogre faced bitch. Anders is **not** a Blood Mage. He's stupid, reckless at times, and harbors a _very_ unhealthy obsession of you templars, but I have never seen him use anything remotely similar to Blood Magick. And I have known the bastard for years, and so has the rest of Hawke's little troop here." Isabella crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the furious Knight Commander as if she were nothing more than an annoying child.

"And it was because of both Fenris and Anders that Hawke was able to be brought back to us, to begin with. Both of them risked the Fade to save her. Just like he risked everything to save her again. Anders is not the dangerous one here. The only one who was now lies dead atop those stairs." Merrill stated forcefully, point up towards the nearly decapitated body of the Arishok. "And he was killed by Hawke." Merrill then pierced a cold glare onto Meredith before continuing. "Where were you,_ Knight Commander_?"

"**How dare you**!?" Meredith roared out as each of Hawke's companions rose to the defence of Anders. Even Fenris rose slowly, still holding Hawke closely to him, to stare down the Knight Commander.

"If anyone is going to kill that man, it will be **_ME_****.**" Fenris spat out, his lyrium bands lighting up as he spoke.

"Guards! We have an uprising here!" Meredith shouted towards her men. However, none of the city guard responded to her order, instead purposely taking a step back in defiance. And only a few of the templars stood forward to join her, yet each shifted uncomfortably in their armor as they confronted the group. "Arrest these criminals!"

"You will do no such thing!" Grand Cleric Elthina shouted back from behind the crowd. Stepping forward, there was a collective gasp among everyone there, both amongst the people and the guards.

"Grand Cleric! It is my duty - a duty which **_you_** appointed to me - to search out and apprehend dangerous mages and Blood Mages! Something which this man certainly is!"

Elthina walked closer to Meredith so she could speak without the majority of the people hearing.

"Yes, I gave you your title, Meredith, but it is still the people you serve. And there is not one person standing here today that do not owe that young woman their lives." Elthina pointed towards Hawke while still keeping her eyes on Meredith. "And as one of those people, I highly _suggest_ that you consider exactly what you are about to do."

"I _am _doing my **duty**." Meredith hissed out, barely containing her anger.

"When Hawke awakens - which she will do thanks the combined effort of _every_ single mage in this room - she will wonder where the man who saved her is. And as the new _Champion_ of Kirkwall, Hawke now will garner much respect and pull in this city. Do you want to incur the anger of such a woman? A woman who has clearly shown that even still recovering from near death still managed to do _that_?" Elthina nodded to the dead Arishok.

Meredith was silent for a few moments as she quickly thought everything over. "He is **still** a mage - one _outside_ the circle." she finally replied through tightly clenched teeth.

"Who is under the care of - and _responsibility _of - Serah Hawke. If she can take down the Arishok of the Qunari, I highly doubt a single mage will prove too much for her to handle."

Meredith knew at that moment that she was outmatched. No matter what she decided, she would either have the people at her throat or risk a mage loose on the city. Neither of which the Knight Commander thought would end well.

"Very well. If that _woman_ wants to take responsibility for this **filth**, so be it! But it will not be me who you all come clamoring to when your children lie slaughtered in the street because this mage turned to Blood Magick! Which I **_guarantee _**you, WILL happen!" Meredith shot each of the companions a wicked glare before storming off out of the Keep, followed by her Templars.

All around, people expelled their held breathes as the Knight Commander left, leaving not only Anders behind, but without further bloodshed as well.

Elthina rubbed her forehead for a moment before walking over and addressing Fenris.

"It is your job, Serah Fenris, to let Serah Hawke know of this when she awakens. I know this was decided without her consent, but it was the only way to keep your fellow mage alive. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Grand Cleric. And thank you... again..."

"My boy, being Grand Cleric is a lot more than saying a few fancy words once a week. Keeping the differing fractions from killing each other is just another part of what I do." Elthina sighed heavily. "May the Maker help and show mercy on this city if I ever were not around to quell the war that threatens us all..." she said softly to herself before addressing Anders.

"Grand Cleric..."

"I am risking much on you, boy. Only during times of great need was ever a mage free from under the Circle, and only when placed into the capable care of others. No mage - not even those who have _important friends_ - can walk freely without consequence. From this moment forward, you will be watched closely by everyone in this city. Any infraction - **_any sign whatsoever_** - that there is Blood Magick at work or that you have broken one of the cities laws will reflect back on your Mistress, Hawke. _Both_ of you will be punished for your crimes. Keep that in mind, and this city may just survive to have future."

"Y-yes, Grand Cleric." Anders stammered out, still in shock.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have developed a very strong headache. I think I need to go lay down somewhere quiet... Hopefully there still is such a place left in Kirkwall..."

Elthina turned and left the hall without waiting for anyone's response, even though not much of one could be given at that moment by the companions. Slowly around them the people who were crammed into the Assembly Hall filed out, many acknowledging or thanking those in Hawke's group. However, the friend's themselves still stood where they were, still sorting through everything that happened.

"Well, I guess I better get some men in here to clean up this mess." Aveline stated flatly after several minutes.

"What about _them_?" Isabella nodded off towards the various Qurnai who gathered themselves near the base of the stairs that led up the Viscount's throne as well as their leader's corpse.

"I have no clue. They haven't tried attacking since the Arishok died. Hopefully that is a good sign..." replied Aveline.

"I am taking Hawke home." Fenris said coldly, turning to leave.

"Fenris, wait!" Anders called out.

"Do **not** thank me, _abomination_. You are alive because it is up to Hawke as to what to do with you. You saved her life, so I grant you yours... _for the moment_. If I were you, I would be making my way to Anderfells or anywhere else that is _far_ away from here." snapped Fenris without even turning around. He then continued on his way out of the Keep towards Hawke's estate.

"Good to have you back, Blondie. However, probably best to avoid our resident Broody elf until at least Hawke gets back on her feet." replied Varric, slapping Anders on the back. Anders was about to answer back before the rest of the companions gathered in front of him.

"Like Varric said, it's good to have you back. But make no mistake, Anders... It won't just be the Knight Commander you will have to deal with if you screw this up again." Aveline angrily stated, glaring at the mage.

"Hawke means a lot to us, and we do thank you for saving her, but..."

"You hurt her again, I'll geld you with a rusty fork before auctioning you off to highest bidder at an Antivan sex house." Isabella threatened, interrupting Merrill.

"You are one to speak, _traitor_."

Isabella's eyes widened before she turned to face to Aveline, an awkward blush spreading across her face. "I came back!" Isabella spat back indignantly after a slight pause to recover herself,

"Dear Maker..." Avelina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and squeezing her eyes shut. "I have other things I need to take care of..." Turning she left to go speak with her guards about the remaining Qunari.

"Well I did!"

"Rivaini... You and I have to have one of our '_little talks_'."

"Oooh! Can I come too?" Merrill asked excitedly.

"No, Daisy, not this time. This may get ugly..." Varric replied stiffly. "You are coming too, pretty boy. Hanged Man tomorrow night. You're buying." he motioned to Anders.

"What?! What for?"

"This way I can at least say to Hawke that I tried my best, so the next time you two lunatics go off, I can't be blamed." laughed Varric.

"And what about me?" Merrill pouted, thinking she was being left out. "I want to talk too!"

"She is a Blood Mage, after all..." said Isabella.

"True enough. Fine, Daisy. You came come. But I would suggest bringing an extra set of smalls with ya."

"Why is that?"

"Ohh, probably because this is Varric and it involves Hawke." Anders replied this time.

"I still don't understand..."

"Just trust us, Kitten. It's easier that way."


End file.
